Theater Review: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME (San Francisco Playhouse)

ANOTHER WORTHY WAY TO
WONDER AT THE WORLD

On rare occasions even the most seasoned reviewers are confounded by the inadequacy of language to describe a production so beautiful and transcendent that words fail to do it justice.

Such a production is multiple award-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time which opened May 7 at San Francisco Playhouse. It’s enjoying a deservedly long run through June 21.

Christopher (Brendan Looney)

The tale revolves around Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old British kid with an unnamed disorder — we assume he is on the autism spectrum — who discovers that a neighbor’s dog has been killed, and sets out to solve the mystery of who did it and why. The stage play by Simon Stephens (Heisenberg) is based on the novel of the same name written by Mark Haddon, a first-person tale shared by Christopher, who lives in a small lower-class town in southwestern England. Playwright Simon Stephens (Heisenberg) frames Haddon’s tale as a play-within-a-play: Christopher has journaled his experiences in a red notebook and his writings are read by his beloved mentor Siobhan (pronounced Shi-VAWN), a teacher who helps him navigate the non-mathematical world. Thus, this marvelous play is fully felt from Christopher’s eyes out.

Christopher (Brendan Looney) and his teacher Siobhan (Sophia Alawi)

A difficult tale to convey — this critic has seen only one previous production, done primarily as a modern dance exercise — the SF Playhouse production excels in every aspect: casting, performance, pacing, set design, sound, lighting and projections. It would be hard to imagine a better presentation. The production takes the audience from dismay to elation in two supremely well-crafted acts.

The opening scene is shocking, with Christopher (Brendan Looney) discovering the carcass of Wellington the dog, skewered with a garden fork. It’s the show’s only repulsive image, but an essential one, in a fantastically engaging production directed by Susi Damilano.

Christopher (Brendan Looney - center)  with Renee Rogoff, Catherine Luedtke,
Cassidy Brown, Laura Domingo, Wiley Naman Strasser, and Sophia Alawi)

Mathematically gifted but socially awkward, Christopher has rarely ventured out of his neighborhood other than to go to school, but his determination to discover what happened to Wellington forces him to confront his own fears and limitations, leading to the revelation that his mother Judy (Liz Sklar) isn’t dead, as his father Ed (Mark P. Robinson) has told him, but instead has been sending him letters from her new residence in London. Accompanied by his pet rat Toby, and equipped with only a notebook, a sleeping bag, and a Swiss Army knife, Christopher forces himself to get on the train, something he’s never done, and rides into the city in search of her.

Christopher (Brendan Looney) and his mother Judy (Liz Sklar)

The questions he asks of various officials and passersby make little sense to them, but are perfectly logical for him. He can’t bear being touched, and can’t use a toilet unless it’s been cleaned first. When stressed, he’s apt to recite prime numbers (“1, 3, 5, 7, 11 . . .”) or cubes (“4, 9, 16, 25 . . .”) to calm down. A real autistic himself, Looney encompasses all that makes his character unique and appealing. His performance is an unassailable argument for authenticity in casting. The show’s dramaturg Joel Moore is cited as being “on the spectrum” too. The alternate reality of such folk has rarely been depicted so well, or with such sympathy and grace.

Ed (Mark P. Robinson) and son Christopher (Brendan Looney)

Projections by Sarah Phykitt fill the back of the stage, and are incredibly effective in conveying not only Christopher’s mindset — computer games, algebraic formulae, the night sky — but also the landscape whirring past the train, and the claustrophobic nature of riding the “tube” in the city. Phykitt’s work is amazing, reinforced by superb sound effects from James Ard. The elegant set by Bill English consists of movable frames outlined in light; used by the cast to perform oddly appropriate and compelling dance moves created by movement director Bridgette Loriaux, whose credits include performing as an aerialist at the Beijing Olympics.

Christopher (Brendan Looney) and the cast

Sophia Alawi is outstanding as Siobhan. Playing multiple roles, the tight, exemplary ensemble is terrific, both as actual adults and manifestations of Christopher’s consciousness: Whit K. Lee, Cassidy Brown, Catherine Luedtke, Wiley Naman Strasser, Renee Rogoff, and Laura Domingo. Quick-change costumes by Alice Ruiz add enormously to the show’s pacing and differentiation of characters.

The ensemble

This Curious Incident is a reluctant hero’s journey, an overpowering redemption story, and a revelation about the power of theater. It’s a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit and an antidote to an art form often saturated with irony and cynicism.

At each performance, the audience is reminded that San Francisco Playhouse is an “empathy gym,” a force for good in a world overrun with evil. This production in particular proves beyond doubt the veracity of that assertion. The Curious Incident is likely the most life-affirming stage production you will ever see.

A duty sergeant (Cassidy Brown) interviews Christopher (Brendan Looney)

Christopher (Brendan Looney)

###

Barry Willis is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and president of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Contact: barry.m.willis@gmail.com