Immersive theater show explores pet love and grief in San Francisco and Berkeley

Our Loving Companions will open in October at The Marsh San Francisco and The Marsh Berkeley with short plays, poetry, music and guided discussion about the human-animal bond. The 90-minute production also aims to help audiences process pet loss and direct some ticket revenue to a Bay Area nonprofit that provides emergency veterinary care.

Why it matters: - The production centers pet grief, a form of loss that is deeply felt but often overlooked. - The show links art, community conversation and support for emergency veterinary care. - The format may give other nonprofits a model they can replicate in their own communities.

What happened: - Our Loving Companions is a 90-minute immersive theater event built around short plays, poetry, music and guided audience reflection. - The show premieres at The Marsh San Francisco from Oct. 15-18, then moves to The Marsh Berkeley from Oct. 22-25. - Most performances will be followed by a facilitated conversation with pet grief professionals. - Tickets and information are available here.

The details: - The production examines the joy, companionship, grief and unconditional love that shape relationships between people and animals. - The creative team says the show asks why people invest so deeply in relationships with animals that do not live as long as humans do, and what helps people open their hearts again after a loss. - Dr. Alan Stewart, a veterinary internist, approached Elizabeth Coplan of Grief Dialogues with the idea. - Stewart has spent nearly four decades caring for animals and their families in the Bay Area. - Coplan had already used the format in projects about human loss and grief in the veteran community. - Stewart, Coplan and Stephanie Weisman, founder and artistic director of The Marsh, held a national contest for short plays and poems to build the production. - Dani Davis served as consulting director, Pamela Hollings directed and Anna Takayo was assistant director. - A portion of each ticket will support a Bay Area nonprofit that helps families pay for life-saving emergency veterinary care. - Ticket prices are $35 for general admission, $50 for reserved seating and $100 for seats that direct a portion to the nonprofit. - Performance dates at The Marsh San Francisco are Oct. 15, 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m., plus Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. - Performance dates at The Marsh Berkeley are Oct. 22, 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m., plus Oct. 25 at 3 p.m.

Between the lines: - The project turns pet loss into a public, shared experience instead of a private one. - The post-show conversations suggest the production is designed as both performance and grief support. - The stated plan to bring the show to other nonprofits points to a possible touring or community-based model beyond the Bay Area.

What's next: - The production opens in San Francisco in mid-October and continues in Berkeley the following week. - The team aims for other nonprofits to stage the show around the country and use it to raise money for local animal-care needs. - Audience members attending most performances will have the option to stay for the facilitated discussion.