Looking for Toto: Alberta Theatre Projects holds dog auditions for ‘Wizard of Oz’

Fifteen furry hopefuls padded into Alberta Theatre Projects on Wednesday morning, all vying for the same coveted role.

No, we are not in Kansas anymore.

We’re at Alberta Theatre Projects’ auditions room, looking for the perfect Toto for an upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz.

What are casters looking for?

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“Dogs who have that ‘it’ quality, the ability to, No. 1, be in an ensemble, take orders, commands, do some tricks, maybe have some tricks up their sleeves,” said Haysam Kadri, Alberta Theatre Projects’ artistic director.

They are looking for two Totos for the demanding eight shows a week during the November to January run.

“Finding a stage dog is always an exciting part of show. It’s exciting for the director, exciting for the whole team, because they really are a part of the company. They’re part of the ensemble,” said Tracey Power, director and choreographer.

They are also part of the payroll.

The gig comes with a contract, a paycheque and their name in the playbill.

Candice Puddifant is hoping her Yorkshire terrier, Gypsy, makes the cut, saying her pooch is no stranger to pleasing an audience.

“I take her to all the pet-friendly stores and everything, and everybody just loves her. I always get the same compliments, like, ‘Oh, she made my day,’” Puddifant said.

“She smiles.”

Martine Callum brought Kylo, who she’s already been training to answer to “Toto.”

“He just kind of looks a little like Toto, and we thought he’s just a chill dog that likes to be carried, and that’s kind of Toto, right?” Callum said.

And Crystal Cassidy entered Auggie, admitting she’ll be a bit of a stage-dog mom.

“The experience, I think, would be great. More for me than the dog,” Cassidy said.

Stage performances of The Wizard of Oz often use puppets instead of real dogs, because canines sometimes go off script.

“I think a dog might be unpredictable, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” Kadri said.

And they can upstage their human co-stars.

“Dogs have a way of taking all the attention just because they’re cute and adorable,” Power said.

The dogs vying to steal the show—and of course their human handlers—find out their fate in the next couple of days.

Alberta Theatre Projects’ The Wizard of Oz opens Nov. 25 and runs through Jan. 4 at Martha Cohen Theatre.