Follow up from Fall Play
On November 3 and 4 our Cardinal Theatre department put on the production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”. Mr. Balster, the cast and the production staff did an amazing job on the show.
A Note from the Director
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time concerns a mystery surrounding the death of a neighbor's dog that is investigated by young Christopher Boone, who has an autism spectrum condition, and his relationships with his parents and school mentor.
The play involves a significant reworking of the novel by Mark Haddon. Rather than present the story in the first-person narrative as the original novel did, the playwright Simon Stephens presented the story as a reading of Boone's own writing, read aloud in segments by his teacher.
Haddon has made it clear that the story is not necessarily about a boy with autism. The story is about those who don’t “fit in.” You will see tonight a boy who feels he is just like everyone else, but knows that others don’t see him in the same light. He doesn’t like to be touched. He always tells the truth—even when it hurts others or hurts himself. Christopher is sometimes confused by things that don’t confuse others.
Christopher’s journey is very much like our own journey. We sometimes get lost. We become confused. Sometimes we are broken. Who has not felt panic or anxiety? How have we learned to hide our faults?
Christopher is also driven and focused, even though he is warned to mind his own business--he cannot. He is searching relentlessly for the truth. The truth sometimes is something we don’t want to accept.
The story is not really about those who are different or struggle to fit in. It’s about how we fit into their world. How do we accept each other? How do we welcome others into our lives who are unlike us?
Christopher must cope with what he learns about himself and his family. As broken as some may think he is, Christopher has an amazing mind with a talent for math. He is driven to take his “Math A” level exams which is unheard of for a special needs student. The mystery of Christopher’s mind is explored by his teacher Siobahn. She not only accepts Christopher—she celebrates his accomplishments and encourages him to dream.
What is this play about? It’s about how we welcome others into our world, and how we long to be accepted by others. It’s about facing the truth and accepting it. It’s about celebrating accomplishments, and believing in dreams. And more than anything, it is a lesson for us all: we must look at others with loving eyes of acceptance, empathy, and understanding. And in doing so, we must accept the reflection in the mirror that others hold up to us.
