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Wednesday

They’re both visually compelling, violent, and melodramatic males, but there’s a difference between GG Allin and D’Artagnan: The latter is unlikely to defecate onstage. D’Artagnan and his co-star Aramis, both Shetland sheepdogs, accompany actors in Caesar; or, the Watchdog of the Castle, a joint production by the New Old Theater and Sirius Productions. Model/actress Aramis, who, like Bernhardt and Rigby before her, here takes a male role, has done an ad for Animal Planet’s Pet Psychic, and D’Artagnan recently shot a short film for PBS. If you’ve ever seen Shetland sheepdogs in action, you know their cleverness and grace. The producers ask that you not bring your animal companions to the show, and although children are welcome, canine drama hasn’t always been a safe prospect: When the title actor in The Dog of Montargis disappeared from an 1814 production, Dublin endured two weeks of rioting. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria. $15 (25 percent of the proceeds to benefit the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria). (703) 548-0956. (Pamela Murray Winters)