Upon hearing the title, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” I expected a light-hearted comedy. Instead, I saw a performance about being an outsider, dishonesty and of course, the death of a beloved dog.

The Arkansas State University Department of Theatre opened “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” Sept. 29 and it did not disappoint. 

The story begins with a teenage boy named Christopher Boone who finds his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, stabbed to death with a garden fork. In an effort to find a sense of control in his life, he becomes determined to find the dog’s killer. 

Even though the inciting incident of this play has to do with the dog, the play is much more than a murder mystery. In fact, the killer is revealed in act one. The play is really about an outsider and his father’s desperation to connect with him. 

Neither the play, written by Simon Stephens, nor the book of the same name, written by Mark Haddon, give Christopher an official diagnosis. However, it is clear that Christopher has social difficulty and has many meltdowns over the course of the show, which leads many to believe he has autism spectrum disorder. 

I’ll be honest: I was afraid this play would poke fun at disability. However, it showed all of Christopher’s difficulties in a real and honest way without looking down on him. 

I went to the play’s opening night and I was wowed by the actors and their ability to portray serious situations with a bare bones set and hardly any props. 

Kaito Ito, a senior theatre major from Tokyo, plays Christopher Boone. He gave a great performance in which he portrayed meltdowns and missed social cues in a respectful and powerful way. 

Another incredible performance was given by Alex Jones, a senior theatre major from Russellville, Arkansas. He plays Ed Boone, Christopher’s father, in such a way that shows all the complexity of raising a struggling child. 

While Christopher is investigating the dog’s murder, he discovers secrets his father had been keeping from him. This is the major conflict of the play, as Christopher makes it abundantly clear he hates lies. 

Ito and Jones had excellent chemistry and as I watched them depict a father-son relationship that was falling apart, I almost forgot I was watching a play. 

This show does not shy away from the hard parts of being different. There are instances in which Ed gets angry with Christopher and yells at him until he melts down. This is where Jones shined. He showed frustration with Christopher, but never left the audience wondering if he loved his son. 

I loved this performance. Each and every actor, from the lead to the ensemble, brought something important to the table and made a complex story come to life. 

The play does contain profanity and descriptions of animal abuse. While there are mature elements, the show leaves the audience with hope and resolution. 

I would recommend anyone to go see this show. There will be three more performances, Oct. 6-7 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m. in the Simpson Theatre. Students can get in free upon showing their student ID.  

Categories: Arts & Entertainment