By JESSICA NEU
Iron Horse Theater Company continues its 2024 season with a riveting production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The play by Simon Stephens, based on Mark Haddon’s novel by the same name, was highly successful in both the New York and London stages. Curious Incident opened in 2012 before transferring to the West End in 2013. The Broadway production followed two years later, opening on Broadway in 2014.
The play follows the lead character, 15-year-old Christopher Boone (Sam Martin), who presumably has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and lives in Swindon with his father, Ed (Reed Mack), after his mother (Kendra Wickham), passed away. Christopher tries to solve the mystery of the death of his neighbor’s dog, Wellington. His investigation results in many discoveries, which shock, overstimulate, and challenge Christopher but ultimately help him discover his inner bravery.
At the beginning of the play, audiences learn that Christopher is a mathematical genius who attends a special school, presumably for neurodivergent learners. He tolerates this school because it provides a path for him to achieve his true goal of taking A-levels in math so that he can one day become an astronaut. The play (and the book that it is based on) has been lauded by the autism community for bringing visibility to the neurodivergent community but also criticized for Christopher’s character perpetuating stereotypes of autism.
The show’s director, Meghan Walsh, handles this difficult task of staging a show with a neurodivergent character with the utmost care and attention. Christopher’s story is told as he is writing a book about his life. His teacher, Siobhan (Katarina Meikrantz), who also serves as a sort of narrator, reads his book aloud as the actors unfold the events Christopher highlights in his work. Meikrantz is loving, approachable, and Christopher’s biggest support as a teacher and narrator. Meikrantz’s excitement over certain elements of Christopher’s life is equally matched by Martin’s portrayal, and at times, joy palpably radiates off of the stage.
Martin’s Christopher is dignified and autonomous but also representative of some of the difficulties that neurodivergent individuals face daily. He becomes overstimulated in crowded environments, does not like to be touched, scripts prime numbers as a coping skill, has difficulty reading social cues and is lovingly literal and honest. Martin does not exaggerate Christopher’s meltdowns but shows how challenging everyday activities (e.g., purchasing a train ticket) can be for the neurodivergent population. He also maintains a flat affect and mild stereotypy (rocking and hand ringing) throughout the show, a testament to Martin’s immense talent as a young actor.
The ensemble takes turns portraying a host of supporting characters that add drama and a great deal of comedy to the show. Christopher’s parents also struggle with parenting him and responding to his idiosyncrasies. Mack and Wickham treat Christopher with care and dignity, but they are also raw and vulnerable as their angst pours from their soul as they yearn to calm Christopher when he is escalated or even to hug him. Mack and Wickham beautifully balance their character’s frustrations over the deterioration of their marriage and also parenting a neurodivergent child with their desires to be happy, but also their deeply rooted concerns and love for their child. Emotions run high at times, but Christopher’s well-being is often enough to diffuse a tense situation.
Each actor approaches their role in Curious Incident with a responsibility to their craft of acting and a respect for humanity. Iron Mill’s production of Curious Incident is a love letter to fellow humans. The actors represent real, flawed, but pure humans navigating their daily struggles without a guidebook to follow for success. Led by Martin’s superb portrayal of Christopher, you will leave the theater with empathy, love, joy, bravery, and the sense that you can be anything you want to be.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Iron Horse Theater Company production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has performances onOctober 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 25, and 26, 2024. All show times start at 7:30 p.m. except the Sunday matinee on October 20. The Sunday Matinee show start time is 2:00 p.m.
Tickets available at https://ironhorsetheatrecompany.ticketleap.com/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-nighttime/
Categories: Arts and Ideas
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