“And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery…and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything." – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Currently touring across the U.S., I was lucky to catch Simon Stephens’s (playwright) Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on its stop in Pittsburgh, PA. Adapted from the book by Mark Haddon and directed by Marianna Elliott, the show is not only a technical masterpiece but a master class for actors on their craft and for the average theatre-going person on their perception of people with mental disorders. The touring show features Tony-winning scenic and costume designs by Bunny Christie, lighting design by Paule Constable, Tony-winning video design by Finn Ross, Tony-nominated choreography by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, music by Adrian Sutton, sound design by Ian Dickinson for Autograph, wig and hair design by David Brian Brown, and stand-out performances by Adam Langdon as Christopher, Maria Elena Ramirez as Siobhan, Gene Gillette as Ed, Felicity Jones Latta as Judy, and an eight-person ensemble. The critically acclaimed play ran on Broadway before launching the national tour, where it won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2015.
Without giving any spoilers, here is the brief synopsis from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’s official website (curiousonbroadway.com): “Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to an earth-shattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever." To add, Christopher is a boy with an unspecified autism disorder, usually assumed to be autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.
The show is one of the most immersive pieces of theatre I have yet to experience. With a grid-like stage and impressive lighting and video effects, it brings you into the head of the boy unlike the “normal" people around in him. There were many times when loud music or bright strobe lighting would start without warning, making me jump and keeping me on the edge of my seat. One of my favorite effects was that every time someone touched Christopher the stage (lights, actors, projections, and music) would go crazy because Christopher did not like to be touched, especially unexpectedly. The stage effects and actors would do the same when he was under extreme emotional or mental stress. I felt like my brain was going to explode a few times during the show as I watched the craziness that was clearly going on in Christopher’s head.
For someone who hasn’t had a lot of experience with people on the spectrum or with a mental disorder, I’ve never understood what living in their world is like. Although I’ve never been as prejudiced and often rude as many people today can be, I’ve never had a clue what went on in their heads. The immersive nature of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the commitment of the actors, especially Adam Langdon’s portrayal of Christopher, solidified the common “they’re just like you and me" mantra and gave me a glimpse at what the world is like through someone else’s eyes.
The brutal honesty, advanced intelligence, and comically literal nature of Christopher’s personality is what makes audience members fall in love with him from the very beginning of the show. Langdon is supported by strong adult actors playing his mother (Felicity Jones Latta), father (Gene Gillette), and teacher (Maria Elena Ramirez), who create teachable moments for audience members from scene to scene. Mother and father: their parental struggles with a child like Christopher is both heart-breaking and inspiring to watch. Teacher: the way Siobhan allowed Christopher to pursue his goals, like taking A-Level mathematics tests at the age of 15 and writing a book, and the way she taught him with patience and understanding was a teachable portion of the story for educators both in and out of special education departments.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is not only artistically and technically satisfying, but satisfying to the soul that connects us to other human beings. Today, we are past prejudice and judgement against people who are different than we are because of mental disorders. In fact, “disorders" is too negative a word for me, because it has been shown time and time again, especially in this show, that people with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome are just as smart, or smarter, than those considered “normal."
See if The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is coming to a city near you, because it is truly a journey that will inspire and enlighten even the most closed-minded of people: http://www.curiousonbroadway.com/#tickets
