GRAND RAPIDS — When Tuesday’s dress rehearsal of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire concluded, the house lights revealed an unfamiliar sight. Where cast and crew would normally see human patrons, they were instead greeted by canines.

Ten service dogs in training and their handlers attended one of the final rehearsals for Tennessee Williams’ classic play, which opens this Friday, January 10th. The special training was coordinated with Paws With A Cause^®.

A PAWS^® assistance dog helps a person with a disability to complete essential tasks. By helping to open doors, pick up objects, pull a wheelchair or alert them to sounds, barriers are overcome. The assistance dog acts as a constant companion allowing them to gain confidence while bringing peace of mind to their loved ones.

“We want to prepare our dogs to work in environments of multiple varying distractions so that they are comfortable doing their job for their clients in everyday life,” said the PAWS Training Team.

“We were very pleased to host Paws With A Cause as part of this important training,” said Civic Theatre Executive Director Bruce Tinker. “We are happy to play a small role in their training process, and it made for a fun experience for our cast and crew, too.”

A Streetcar Named Desire is playing from January 10th through the 26th. Tickets are available at grct.org or by calling 616.222.6650.