Cappies Review: Chantilly's 'Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'

By John Larmoyeux of Robinson Secondary School

When attempting to solve a mystery, there always seems to be a bizarre tendency to end up with more questions than answers. However, those questions can reveal more than what's wanted, exemplified in Chantilly High School's marvelous production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

"The Curious Incident," a play based on Mark Haddon's novel, follows Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old on the autism spectrum, as he writes about his attempts to find out who killed his neighbor's dog with a garden fork. However, his investigations lead him to discover a secret about his supposedly dead mother, and he leaves home to find her, braving the terrifying new world in the process. The show's concept of being entirely from Christopher's perspective resounded throughout the production, as the production's work to keep Christopher's viewpoint as the sole focus detailed how his crippling social anxiety caused him to not see past initial reactions and dialogue with other characters, bringing a unique type of sympathy to his character.

Jack Wolff showed his great attention to detail in his performance as Christopher, as his portrayal of overstimulation was consistent with the character throughout the production and showed the command he had over the stage. This command worked well in scenes with the ensemble, as he was never lost on the stage even while he was lost in the world. His commitment to the role of portraying an autistic teen trying to find out so much about his world was painfully realistic, drawing out emotion whenever it got too much for him.

Christopher's mother, played by Ella Ostlund, was a tale of two good acts, as her first act work to portray a tragic character contrasted with her more down-to-earth, misunderstood second act that detailed Christopher's feelings about his mother during his journey to find her. Christopher's father, played by Will Sanfilippo, showed similar contrast, going from a protecting and nurturing father figure to a resentful man who lets his anger from the past override him. Both actors understood their roles and their roles to Christopher, giving unique performances that kept the emotional roller-coaster of Christopher's story intact.

The production deserves acclaim for its technical work, but the stand-out was Sam Cole's projections, which gave Lucy Sherrier's set team flexibility when it came to creation as the backdrops to scenes were all done via projection onto multiple screens around the set. Sherrier's team took this chance to create a minimalistic set, using blocks to simulate beds, tables, and chairs with the screens used for the projections. The sound design team, headed by Amanda Donovan, used music to enhance quieter scenes, as their work to distort a train station or space out when stargazing put the play in the moment with Christopher.

Overall, Chantilly High School's production of "The Curious Incident" exemplified their prowess in all stages of theatrical production. After all, when all questions are sufficiently answered, maybe it's better to follow Christopher's lead and think toward the future.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" was performed at Chantilly High School from April 20 to 23.