S73 - CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME by Simon Stephens - Drama: 5 women, 5 men
posted by Greg at 1:52 PM
Dec 31, 2023
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13 Comments:
I think this play would work very well for TRP. I could see it as a designer's challenge much like Fahrenheit was. Sound effects, lights, simplistic set pieces that transform into other things. It good name recognition from the recent successes on Broadway and the touring shows. Are rights an issue?
I have discovered that I'm not very interested in what it is like inside the head of a child with mild autism. I audibly groaned at the start of part two over the whole meta thing of him writing a novel that will be a play (that I'm watching). I'm sure we could pull this off if people think there is an audience.
Stu
VERY CHALLENGING, but a possible hit. We may have to see how it goes over at Mixed Blood. I think it would be fascinating to attempt.
I am confused. In the past, we have not considered shows produced within recent history at some of the smaller local venues, which I suspect most of our audiences have never visited. Here we are looking at a play presented this time last year at the Orpheum as part of their Broadway series and is presently being produced at Mixed Blood, where audiences can see it at no charge and following a front page article in the Minnesota Daily. I enjoy the play, but seeing it three years in a row is too much for me. I think we should consider it, but not for next year.
Saw this in London last year and found it absolutely riveting. I think it would be an excellent piece for TRP. We have talented directors and designers who could make this work in the round. A huge yes for me.
What I like about this play is that it is not preachy. While I found the first act better than the second act, my vote is Yes.
Yes, but we will need to be very particular about which director takes this on. I don't feel confident that everyone in our director pool can handle this.
I finished reading the novel. The play is the novel including the math problem solution which is a 3 page appendix.
my main concern with this play - other than staging which I will leave to designers who know what they are doing - is the frequency with which it is done elsewhere.
This is actually the first time I have read this script and I have never seen it. Wow! Moving, theatrical, complex. It deals with harsh realities of parenting and neurodivergence without being overly maudlin. Ever character is complicated and empathetic without excusing their mistakes. This would be so fantastic in the round!
Agreed that it has been produced quite often in the Twin Cities. 2016, 2017, 2019 at professional companies, and several colleges, high schools since then. Would our arena staging bring something new? Is it oversaturated? Is this the type of play people see multiple times? Unsure.
I think there is something particularly timely about producing it right now- especially with all of the interactions between Christopher and the police. I was thinking so much of Elijah McClain. I say yes to this.
I really enjoyed this play's complex portrayal of trauma, disability, abandonment, deception, violence, and love in a family context. The play opens with immediate drama and suspense, with plenty of heart as well as dramatic plot twists. I know this play is very popular, which means either it will be a big box-office draw or people will be uninterested due to how frequently it is performed in the Twin Cities. If we were to produce this play, we would also need to be very deliberate with our casting choice and portrayal of autism-- this play was adapted over a decade ago, and it shows in its slightly outdated stereotyping of autistic behaviors. I think a good alternative to this play, should we decide it is too popular or has been too recently produced in the Twin Cities, could be Mockingbird by Julie Jensen.
Interesting play but I found myself getting a little bored with it. Probably caused by reading the dialogue rather than hearing it read at a quickened pace. But still a concern. I could see getting an audience for it but possibly a rather small one, especially as it seems to be done a lot.
I love the book, I like the play. Something to consider though... last summer I went to a conference on Learning/ Teaching for the Neurodivergent community. The general thought about the story from the instructors and students on the ASD spectrum was overwhelmingly negative. Small sample of 20 or so, but they felt strongly about it.
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