Mountain Community Theater presents “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” a play by Simon Stephens—based on the novel by Mark Haddon—from May 16 to June 8 at Ben Lomond’s historic Park Hall, 9400 Mill St.
This show, directed by Simon Hayward, is an inspiring and challenging story of an autistic teenage boy learning about the complexities of life.
The play was first produced by the National Theater in the U.K. and on Broadway won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. It tells the story of 15-year-old Christopher, who has an extraordinary brain: He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched, and he distrusts strangers.
His discovery of the neighbor’s dog Wellington, speared with a garden fork, sets him on a journey of “detecting,” which goes well beyond who killed Wellington. He uncovers his family history, learns his strengths in surprising ways, and also reveals how difficult it can be to live with someone who doesn’t fit the expectations of “normal” behavior.
At a time when the very concept of diversity is being undermined in some places, recognizing the challenges and potential of a person who would now be labelled as “neurodiverse” is important.
Hayward was quick to point out that while the play itself is not political in nature, the timing of its presentation may be interpreted as such, considering this administration’s push to negate all things diversity, equity and inclusion-related.
“When the MCT play selection committee first entertained the idea of producing ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,’ we all thought it would be an interesting piece to do. What none of us realized was that the whole concept of diversity is now literally under attack,” Hayward said. “This play is a personal drama, but it now has a very important political point to make, which is, this is what diversity is all about and you can’t simply sweep it under the carpet. For me, that’s become a significant motivation for doing this play, even though it wasn’t the original motivation.”
Wyatt Troxell plays lead Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old with high-functioning autism. Oddly enough, the word “autism” is never used in the original book or in the script of this production.
“My character doesn’t enjoy physical touch that much, but he’s very into math and space and physics, but doesn’t like the colors brown or yellow,” said Troxell, who has spent most of his life on stage at Park Hall, whether in Little People’s Theater or Mountain Community Theater productions. “My family member has autism, and so I sort of had an understanding of how people with autism function. It’s different from person to person, so trying to compare and contrast people I know in real life with Christopher was an interesting experience.”
Brad Roades has written, directed and acted in a myriad of plays, and “Curious Incident” finds him playing a variety of roles, including the police officer in the first act.
“What’s interesting about this piece is we’re all on stage the entire time, and we’re deeply engaged throughout, so it’s a lesson in paying attention and remaining focused,” said Roades, who is intrigued by the adaptation of the book for the stage. “It’s quite remarkable—picture a novel written from the perspective of a 15-year-old autistic child and translated into prose. We get to see a side of Christopher that others don’t. In its simplest form, the moral of this story is you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
“Curious Incident” is Mark Matthews’ first show with Mountain Community Theater. Since Matthews has a child on the autism spectrum, he felt a special connection to his character, Ed Boone, Christopher’s father.
“I think people are being more observant and aware of autism, and many people want to better understand how people with autism think and behave. I wish people would realize it’s not their fault—it’s just that their mind works in a different way,” Matthews said. “If we could better understand how people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) move through this world, the world would be a better place. In this play, the real struggles of life are brought forward for all of us to learn from.”
Sonia Motlagh, who plays Christopher’s mother Judy, said she wanted to do this show because of its message.
“It doesn’t just show the challenges of someone who lives with autism, but it also shows the victories, and I think that’s an important message when you’re talking about someone with a disability,” Motlagh said. “I myself have a disability, so it gives the show extra meaning for me. Judy has a hard time dealing with her son’s disability, and so it gives my character a completely different level of authenticity. It’s interesting to play a character who is struggling with the same things I am in real life.”
Motlagh added, “What drew me to Judy was the powerful way in which she tells her story. Women oftentimes get shamed for abandoning their children, but we live in a culture where men can leave their children after a divorce and no one thinks twice about it. That’s an unfair double standard, so it’s important to make Judy likable and relatable in this story. Judy displays courage and finds redemption in her journey as a mom.”
Take a journey to Park Hall in Ben Lomond to see “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” with an opening night reception on May 16, Community Night on May 17 and a post-show talkback on June 1. Evening shows are at 8pm, with Sunday matinees at 2pm; find tickets and information at mctshows.org.
