What would it be like if animals could talk? Even before Dr. Doolittle conversed with beast and fowl, or Mr. Ed chatted with Wilbur, countless animal lovers and pet owners have wondered what Fido or Fluffy might say if their thoughts could be put into words.

Apparently the folks at Burien Little Theatre have contemplated these same questions. In the long-awaited opening show of their abbreviated 2006 season, BLT offers up some fine comical possibilities with A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia.

No, Sylvia is NOT a talking dog ... at least, not in the way Mr. Ed was a talking horse or Frances was a talking mule.

Sylvia is just a regular dog. But somehow, when her owners, an empty nest couple named Greg and Kate, speak to her, she understands what they are saying and answers back ... not in dog-speak, but in human-talk. You know ... English.

But, I repeat, Sylvia is NOT a talking dog. Confusing? Well, maybe just a little, but only if you haven’t yet seen this wonderfully entertaining play.

Greg (Thomas Phiel) and Kate (Dana Rice) have just packed their youngest child off to college and are looking forward to their child-free years.

Kate is a Shakespeare-quoting junior high school English teacher.

Greg labors in currencies trading, a career for which he is temperamentally ill-suited. One day, Greg brings home a stray dog named Sylvia (Yvette Zaepfel), an energetic ball of fur who leaps onto Kate’s immaculate furniture and straight into Greg’s heart.

Immediately, the tension created by Greg’s impulsive adoption develops into an all-out war.

Unhappy with his career and, eventually, his marriage, Greg retreats to his solace with man’s best friend. Kate, sensing a rival for her husband’s affections, makes it her mission to get Sylvia out of their lives.

Soon it becomes apparent that the bond between man and dog has eclipsed the husband-wife relationship.

Greg seeks friendly advice from a fellow pet-lover while Kate enlists support from an old friend and help from a marriage counselor (Mario Hernandez in multiple roles).

But, despite their opposing positions, both Greg and Kate share their private thoughts with Sylvia, their canine confidante.

Playwright A.R. Gurney has humanized Sylvia in a couple of ways.

Sylvia’s interactions with her human owners reminds one of the comic strip character Calvin’s conversations with his stuffed tiger Hobbes. Sylvia appears to be talking, but is she really?

Sylvia is also performed by Zaepfel in human clothing, not in a dog costume, as one might assume. This allows Sylvia’s human traits to come through, but demands that Zaepfel create her canine self through movement and skilled vocal delivery.

Fortunately, she succeeds on all counts.

Phiel and Rice make a convincing pair who have weathered 22 years of marriage. Mario Hernandez, as the one-man ensemble of quirky characters from Greg and Kate’s lives, shows off his versatility and easily steals the scene in his every appearance.

Director Henry Hart pulls together a finely crafted show. As president of the newly-revived Burien Little Theatre, Hart also serves as sound designer, costume designer and jack-of-all-trades.

For those in the community who are wondering, “Whatever happened to Burien Little Theatre?” there is good news. BLT is alive and well and Sylvia is just what the doctor ordered. Or maybe it’s what the veterinarian ordered ... ?

Sylvia runs through Jan. 29, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10-$12. Call BLT at 206-242-5180 for reservations. It is not appropriate for children because of language and subject matter.

BLT performs at the Burien Community Center at Southwest 144th Street and Fourth Avenue Southwest.

Aya Takechi volunteers her time helping the fine folks at BLT. She is not part of the production team for “Sylvia.”