When Kristin Wold was asked to direct the Connecticut Repertory Theatre\u2019s production of \u201cThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,\u201d the Simon Stephens adaptation based on the novel by Mark Haddon, the assistant professor of acting in the School of Fine Arts was familiar with the playwright\u2019s work.<\/p>\n
Wold, a long-time actor and director with Shakespeare & Company, had directed CRT\u2019s production of Stephens\u2019s \u201cPunk Rock\u201d during the 2012-13 season and had a copy of \u201cCurious Incident\u201d on her bookshelf.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had it on my shelf but hadn\u2019t read it,\u201d she says of the play showing at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre through March 8. \u201cI pulled it off my shelf. It\u2019s beautiful. It\u2019s a terrific play.\u201d<\/p>\n
What Wold did not recall was that her copy of the play was signed to her by Stephens, who did so at the request of a former student who had been part of the \u201cPunk Rock\u201d cast, and met the playwright while on a Study Abroad semester in London.<\/p>\n
\u201cI opened up the book and saw the inscription. I said: I guess I\u2019m directing this play,\u201d Wold says. \u201cI took that as a good sign.\u201d<\/p>\n
The play centers on Christopher, a teenage amateur detective who is a mathematics genius struggling to interpret everyday life as he copes with an unidentified disorder on the autism spectrum. When Christopher is accused of killing a neighbor\u2019s dog, he sets out to prove his innocence and his detective work takes him on a journey that turns his world upside-down and leads him to discover a life-changing secret.<\/p>\n
With the lead character facing his own challenges on the autism spectrum, there will be a Sensory Friendly performance on March 7 at the 2 p.m. show, a first in CRT\u2019s long history. The performance\u2019s light and sound levels will be modified to accommodate individuals with sensory-input disorders, including autism spectrum, anxiety, and a range of cognitive abilities. Audience members can feel free to get up and move around during the performance, and there will be a Quiet Room available for those who need to take a break from the performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will connect us to a community that we had not yet invited into the theater in an intentional way,\u201d says Michael Bradford, head of dramatic arts and artistic director of CRT.<\/p>\n
The Stephens adaptation of \u201cCurious Incident\u201d for the stage in London\u2019s West End (2012) and Broadway in New York City (2014) swept the Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best Play, Director, and Actor.<\/p>\n
The cast includes Actors\u2019 Equity Association members Joe Cassidy and Margot White, who have performed on Broadway and in regional theaters, as well as in films and on television shows including \u201cLaw and Order\u201d and \u201cBlue Bloods.\u201d Tyler Nowakowski as Christopher leads the cast of student actors that includes Matthew Antoci, Alexandra Brokowski, Nicolle Cooper, Thalia Eddy, Justin Jager, Elizabeth Jebran, and Mauricio Miranda.<\/p>\n
Wold says Nowakowski has embraced the lead role of his character.<\/p>\n
\u201cTyler really has created him. He\u2019s done his research and drawn upon that,\u201d she says. \u201cChristopher decides early on he\u2019s going to write a book about who killed the dog. It\u2019s a murder mystery. He doesn\u2019t like things that are lies. He likes things that are true. His mission is to find out who killed Wellington, his neighbor\u2019s dog, and in the midst of that he finds out about his family. He\u2019s solving two mysteries. In the first half of the play he discovers hidden truths and deceptions. The second act is unwinding what he finds out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The student actors each have multiple roles in the production, which were written by Stephens into the script and requires them to be on stage for the entire show.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are six voices and they play many parts. They never leave the stage,\u201d Wold says. \u201cIt\u2019s a fun and challenging opportunity because they get to step into different roles and work on different characterizations. The ensemble of voices in the play also create a whole movement backdrop for the story. They\u2019re supporting Christopher but also reflecting in a larger physical way what\u2019s going on inside him. It\u2019s been wonderful to work with the actors creating that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bradford, the CRT artistic director, says the play presents the student actors with a unique and challenging opportunity as performers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought that was a great show because there would be some really solid roles for our students that would stretch them a little bit in a more contemporary piece of work,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n