A FASCINATING JOURNEY INTO THE AUTISTIC MIND
Mark Haddon’s novel is a first-person tale shared by the autistic main character: 15-year-old Christopher Boone, 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 (an astounding Daniel Patrick Russell) has journaled his experiences in a red notebook and his writings are read by his beloved mentor Siobhan (pronounced Shi-VAWN) (Allison Spratt Pearce), a teacher who helps him navigate the non-mathematical world. Thus, this marvelous play is fully felt from Christopher’s eyes out. This brilliant production from CCAE Theatricals delivers another worthy way to wonder at the world.
The 2015 Tony-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time opens with Christopher sitting beside a large dead dog, which has been stabbed to death. The dog’s owner Mrs. Shears (Melissa Fernandes) accuses him, but when she puts her hands on him — something the autistic youth allows no one to do, not even loved ones — Christopher freaks out, resulting in his father Ed (Nathan Madden) needing to pick him up at the police station. As we watch the arrest and awkward police booking, we learn a lot about Christopher’s demeanor, including the fact that he cannot lie, but can be wily with what truths he chooses to share. We also quickly discover that this brilliant, misunderstood mind often wants to share on topics others don’t care to hear about.
The dog’s death greatly bothers Christopher, so he decides, a la his beloved Sherlock Holmes, that he must solve the case. His widowed father pleads with him to let it go, insisting that it’s best not to mess with things, but Christopher’s brain will not let it go. What Christopher unearths about his neighbors and his own life opens up cans of worms that would be hard for any teen to handle; add in Christopher’s neurodiversity and these discoveries — and a solo journey to London — create a gripping story of acceptance, betrayal, and forgiveness.
CCAE Theatricals’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time uses more choreography than almost any other non-dance program I’ve ever seen. Actors moving in specific patterns and rhythms convey feelings about Christopher’s frustration. During one scene on a train, passengers substitute for the absent train tracks and car jostling by smacking their hips in a pulsating manner. At times, Christopher is literally carried from one place to another by the ensemble, indicative of his own distraction from what he is doing physically. In all cases, the dance-like movement is a thing of beauty, with credit due to choreographer Natalie Iscovich and dance captain Melissa Glasgow. Playing multiple roles, the tight ensemble is terrific, both as actual adults and manifestations of Christopher’s consciousness.
Also unique on CCAE’s huge two-story stage is the multi-media by Matthew Herman, who also designed the set. A camera operator follows some characters around, such that we see them broadcast enormously on the back wall of the stage, usually at a different angle than we see them from the audience. This allows director J. Scott Lapp to use parts of the stage that might have otherwise been out of view (e.g., the wings and the very back of the stage behind a platform) without our missing a moment, as our eyes jump back and forth between the actual actors and that rear wall projection. This device also lends itself to reminding us how different Christopher’s perspective is from our own.
The genuinely magnificent Mr. Russell pulls at our hearts with an intensity that is both difficult and compelling to watch. It’s a pity that this truly amazing, powerful, emotional, and insightful production has such a short run.
photos by Karli Cadel Photography
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
California Center for the Arts, Escondido340 N. Escondido Blvd. in Escondido
Thurs-Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2ends on March 3, 2024for tickets, call 800.988.4253 or visit CCAE