Tryon Little Theater rolls from one great show into another, as well as moving from one genre to another, to keep things fresh and interesting. Rehearsals for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” started a couple of weeks ago, and as with all their carefully selected productions, this one will challenge the audience, as well as the cast. 

 

The play by Simon Stevens is based on the novel by Mark Haddon, which won acclaim in 2003. The story—set in Swindon and London, England—is about a 15-year-old amateur detective named Christopher John Francis Boone who is a mathematical genius. He appears, however, to have an unspecified autism spectrum disorder that is variously described as either autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, although the condition is never explicitly stated.  

 

The curious incident is the mystery surrounding the death of a neighbor’s dog, Wellington, found speared by a garden fork...and Christopher sets out to find his killer. 

 

“This show provides an amazing environment for actors to stretch themselves – both physically and emotionally,” says Director Chris Tinkler.  “Our exceptional cast is given the opportunity to portray complex life situations, and the audience is given a chance to experience the events unfolding from different perspectives. The dynamics of a 15-year–old who sees the world differently than others, and the response from those closest to him, drive the play forward.” 

Liam Daniels plays Christopher, Stephen Harris is his father, Tara Sweeney , his mother, and Brenda Craig, his mentor.  Various characters and voices are portrayed by Donna Everett, Ryan Barry, Duncan Pittman and Nancy Winker. 

This play runs two weekends, April 25-28 and May 2-5 on the TLT Workshop stage at 512 South Trade St. in Tryon. Call 828-859-2466 for more information, or visit www.tltinfo.org. 

– Submitted by Monica Jones