The Butler Little Theatre is rehearsing for its season opener, “The Dog Logs,” by C.J. Johnson.

The show, a series of monologues by a host of area actors, opens Sept. 28.

“The Dog Logs” is being directed by Stefan Lingenfelter with production by Bob Craig and Marianne Snider.

The play gives unique insight into the mind of all kinds of dogs: tough dogs, fun dogs, dogs with neighbor problems, aging mongrels and more. Each delivers hilarious and heartbreaking monologues telling tales in a touching way.

Playing a dog in a person's skin is one of the most enjoyable parts of the production said Christian Cendrowski of Jefferson Township.

“I play Ando. He's tough, wanting to get the job done, but he has a soft side as well,” Cendrowski said.

The 19-year-old played animals before in shows such as “Lion King.”

“The biggest challenge in the portrayal is bringing a seriousness while keeping it fun at the same time,” Cendrowski said.

Phoenix Kelly, 20, of Butler Township is a barista by day but plays a barker by night for this show.

“All of my roles are very high energy. They are all young dogs looking for approval and attention in their own quirky ways, some more direct than others,” said Kelly who has never played an animal on stage before.

Her role of Jack allows for improv, she said.

“Jack bookends the show so he's the first one you see and the last one to send you off, but a lot of his lines are very audience dependent. You can never be sure how, or if, the audience will react to you,” she noted. “There are a lot of things that I have to make sure happen or a lot of his lines get thrown off.”

Kelly auditioned for the show after a 3-year hiatus from the stage. In 2015 she played Eve Fulton in Knoch High School's production “13 Past Midnight.”

Veteran actor Thom Hilliard of Butler Township auditioned for the show because of the unique monologue style.

“I am learning that performing monologues is not easy,” he said.

Hilliard says the show will be unforgettable.

Ariana O'Donnell of Butler Township plays the roles of Sparky and Tallulah.

“I love playing Sparky, the Australian Kelpie, because I get to tell the story with so much enthusiasm; I practically feel like the Crocodile Hunter! I love a challenge, and the premise of this show is so unique and fun and the challenge is worth the work,” O'Donnell said.

Processing things as a canine versus a human can be a challenge, but O'Donnell said she is working hard to master the mind of the canine.

The roles of Alfred and Scarface are portrayed by Cody Sutisna, 16, of Butler Township.

Alfred is a flamboyant Afghan hound breeding stud, and Scarface is a pitbull terrier on the mean streets of L.A.,” explained Sutisna.

“Alfred's natural cockiness I find to be fun to play around with. Scarface is a tough dog focused on decorum and intimidation; I find playing it tough to be fun,” the high school junior added.

Other featured players include Bonnie Cahill, Kevin McGuire, and Luke Pfeifer.

WHO: Butler Little TheatreWHAT: “The Dog Logs” by C.J. JohnsonWHEN: Sept. 28-30 and Oct. 2-6, at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and ThursdayWHERE: BLT, One Howard St.TICKETS: $13 online at www.bltgroup.org or at the door 45 minutes prior to curtain.INFO: bltgroup.org