The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Reviewed on November 15, 2019

Kaitlin Molloy
Chantilly High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

A cacophony of noises, lights, and colors; we live in a world where the loudest voices overpower many brilliant individuals, who are waiting to be heard simply because they are different from ourselves. Bringing to life the unique mind of those who are ostracized because of how they perceive the world, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time teaches us that sometimes a small, strange investigation can lead to self-discovery, whether we're ready or not.

The stage adaptation (Simon Stephens) of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is based on Mark Haddon's best-selling book of the same title, originally published in 2003, wherein the murder mystery draws inspiration from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series. The play ran on the West End, London, for five years from 2012-2017, garnering seven Olivier Awards, including Best Play, during its run.

Set in Swindon, England, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time follows a 15-year-old boy, Christopher Boone, who has Asperger's syndrome, which prevents him from understanding human emotions and causes him to interpret the world in a unique manner. When his neighbor's dog, Wellington, is murdered, Christopher embarks on an investigation to find the culprit, leading to a much bigger mystery about his own family.

The secluded, cautious Christopher (Joshua Mutterperl) is thrown into a whirlwind of discovery when he examines the murder of Wellington. Mutterperl masterfully portrays the autistic Christopher with consistent and accurate physical tics. His zeal and involvement, whether it be through witty remarks, silence or lack thereof, or hyper-realistic relationships with his cast mates, entices the audience into exploring the nuanced complexities of Christopher's character.

Christopher's strict, yet caring, father, Ed (Evan Howard) disapproves of Christopher's mission. Providing depth to a normally superficial character, Howard's commanding stage presence melts away as he develops his relationship with his son and returns with vigor when he betrays Christopher's trust. Siobhan (Valerie Nayak), Christopher's supportive teacher and later voice of reason, encourages Christopher to follow his heart and dreams. Throughout the entirety of the show, Nayak consistently brings vivacity and life to the her role.

Adding to Christopher's unique perspective of life, the multipurpose, minimalistic set (Saf Dandashi, Matthew Rothlisberger, Quentin Lovejoy) effectively showcases the unique mind of Christopher, easily changing from a winding path in Swindon to a crowded tube in London. Time, effort, and research was illustrated throughout the show's costuming (Ellen Rowe, Macy Wright, Emma Barnes), with extensive and masterful use of color to show how Christopher feels about the character, using red to mean trust, yellow/brown to show distrust, blue to signify his mind, and using intermediary colors to signify a shift in character's relationships. Clearly, the most breathtaking technical element was "the Grid" (Matthew Rothlisberger, Alexandra Trotter). The impressive set-piece utilizes 240 LED and over 2500 lines of code to project changing bright colors, using the same color symbolism as costuming.

With heartfelt performances and breathtaking technical elements, Thomas Jefferson High School's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time encourages us to take a leap into the unknown, regardless of what we might face on the other side.

Jalin Dew
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

Seven minutes after midnight, the sky is dark. A fluffy white dog lies dead, speared in its own yard with a garden fork. Who killed the canine remains a mystery, but for young Christopher Boone, it is a case that must be cracked. In TJ Drama's newest production, join Christopher on his fanciful adventure to solve The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was written by Simon Stephens, adapted from the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon. The production debuted in the United Kingdom's Cottesloe Theatre in 2012 and was the recipient of seven Olivier Awards in 2013 and five Tony Awards in 2015, including Best Play. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is now a globally recognized hit, presented to three million people worldwide.

The story immerses the audience in the world of fifteen-year-old Christopher, a teen with an unspecified autism spectrum condition, as he retells his amateur investigation of the pooch's murder. The production is presented as a play-within-a-play, narrated by Christopher himself, as he presents the story alongside his teacher and mentor, Siobhan. Through marvelous storytelling and ingenious technical aspects, TJ Drama's production is both amusing and stirring in its own unique way.

Joshua Mutterperl stood at the helm of this production, portraying the fifteen-year-old Christopher. Mutterperl achieved what few others could, an authentic and respectful representation of autism. Throughout the production, Mutterperl maintained consistency in his physical and verbal mannerisms, captivated the audience with a performance that felt more like reality than a theatrical outing. He was surrounded by a cast with immense depth, contributing to an even richer story.

TJ Drama's technical elements contributed to the narrative in clever ways. Costume designer Ellen Rowe's costume choices were exceptional, using color to reflect how Christopher felt towards certain characters, including how his trust developed. The production's dizzying number of props, designed by Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon, were exceptionally well managed, placed in the boxes created by the set construction team. The transportable boxes were a prime example of set versatility, a depiction of the abstractness of Christopher's mind.

Perhaps the most difficult and ambitious element of the show was the creation of the LED lighting grid software by Matthew Rothlisberger and Alexandra Trotter. Coding in Python and C++, the duo wrote over two thousand lines of code for the many cues, an impressive feat. Their color choices and seamless execution enhanced the story by helping the audience better understand Christopher's mind.

In what begins as a quirky murder mystery, TJ Drama's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time leaves' audiences feeling warm with a story culminating in empathy and love.

Naomi Scully-Bristol
W. T. Woodson High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

Amid a backdrop of flashing lights, a boy's journey pushes him out of his comfort zone as the cast and crew of Thomas Jefferson High School's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time draw the audience into the world they've created.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a play which was adapted from a book by the same name written by Mark Haddon. The play centers around Christopher, a 15-year-old autistic boy, who finds his neighbor's dog dead in their front lawn. Despite his dislike of strangers and being touched, Christopher bravely works as a detective to discover who killed the dog, writing everything he finds in a book, and additionally discovers things about his own family.

Joshua Mutterperl, who played Christopher, delivered an outstanding performance. Mutterperl had excellent physicality, keeping up habits like repetitive motions, which depicted Christopher's autism to the audience. His use of body language paired with thoughtful line delivery let the audience understand what Christopher was feeling and sympathize with him.

Siobhan, Christopher's teacher, played by Valerie Nayak often acted as the voice in Christopher's head, reading out everything he was thinking during a scene from the book Christopher had written. Nayak did a great job with this role, conveying emotions that helped interpret Christopher's thoughts.

The technical elements of this show were dazzling and awe-inspiring, with the entire back wall of the stage covered by cubes of LED lights and projections with illustrations of what Christopher was thinking running on two screens. The lights, whose software was created by Matthew Rothlisberger and Alexandra Trotter, showed different colors and patterns based on what Christopher was feeling. These lights, paired with the projected images (Molly Barron) and the set (Saf Dandashi, Matthew Rothlisberger, and Quentin Lovejoy) that was made entirely out of white and black boxes that could be modified to represent any setting, gave the feeling that the show was taking place in Christopher's mind. These technical elements created an entire world, both physical and abstract, within Christopher's thoughts and actions.

This production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time created a colorful and captivating world that admirably carried the audience along on Christopher's journey.

Sam Barbaro
South Lakes High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

On the outside, Christopher is a stubborn, unpredictable teenager- that's what the world sees. Audience members at Thomas Jefferson High School's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time got to see the inside of Christopher's brilliant and unique mind- the mind of someone on the spectrum.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, originally a novel by Mark Haddon, was brought to the stage by playwright Simon Stephens in 2012. The production has enjoyed numerous awards as well as runs in both U.S. and British theaters in recent years. The plot starts with the murder of a neighborhood dog, and Christopher's quest to find the guilty party. Through his detective work, Christopher uncovers details about his own life and a new mystery unfolds.

Thomas Jefferson's entire cast showed just how well-rehearsed they were as they all took responsibility in telling Christopher's story through physical theater by manipulating set-pieces and interacting with props to communicate the nature of Christopher's mind. Tasked with playing Christopher himself, Joshua Mutterperl masterfully tackled the portrayal of Christopher's disability with physical idiosyncrasies and tics that underscored his character's discomfort and frustration.

Siobhan, a school mentor of Christopher's and perhaps his biggest ally was played by Valerie Nayak. Nayak was often charged with performing narrative, expository monologues which she did with poise and polish keeping audience members in-the-know throughout the program. Just as polished was Ed, Christopher's father played by Evan Howard. Howard proved to be as flexible as his character demanded; in some scenes he lashed out in anger at his son only to be exceedingly vulnerable and tender with him in the next scene.

An ingenious set designed by Saf Dandashi, Mathew Rothlisberger and Quentin Lovejoy proved to be multi-purposed and functional, paralleling the utilitarian mind of someone on the autism spectrum. A fully coded, 12 foot-tall wall of lights nicknamed "the Grid" added an innovative touch to the program, courtesy of Matthew Rothlisberger and Alexandra Trotter. Molly Barron ran two large onstage monitors which aired real-time projections of images based on Christopher's thoughts. Both "the Grid" and the projections illuminated not only the stage in the literal sense, but also highlighted the inner workings of Christopher's brain in the figurative sense.

The actors' impressive performance was matched by an equally clean run on the technical side. Stage managers Aria Moss and Natalie Nardone lead their colleagues through light and sound clues alike without a hitch. By the story's conclusion, the audience no longer remembered the erratic teen they saw at first glance, instead they saw a human being worthy of respect and of being loved.

Lexi Olsen
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

There is walking in someone else's shoes, and then there is thinking in someone else's mind. Thomas Jefferson High School's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time asks theatergoers to do the latter.

Curious Incident tells the story of Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old autistic boy who attempts to solve the killing of his neighbor's dog before taking on the challenge of traveling alone to London in search of his mother. The play opened on the West End in March 2013 before moving to Broadway in October 2014. It won the Tony Award for Best Play before closing in late 2016.

From the innovative 'grid' which underpinned the set to the projections which deepened its effect, Curious Incident's tech allowed the audience to see the world through Christopher's eyes. When Christopher became overstimulated in a London train station, Molly Barron's sign projections bled together such that the audience could no longer distinguish one from the next, deftly ensuring that the audience's experience of the station mirrored Christopher's. Joshua Malley's lighting design, whose clever use of color-- the grid turned yellow, Christopher's least-favorite color, when he was uncomfortable-- supplemented Christopher's often atypically-expressed emotion.

Joshua Mutterperl played incredibly well as Christopher. When his character came under stress, his tics became more evident, whether knotting his shirt round his fingers or repeatedly hitting the set pieces. He neither over- nor underacted Christopher's meltdowns, and their realism allowed the audience to feel for him. Additionally, his accent was the most consistent throughout the show, and he varied the speed of his speech to convey Christopher's love of certain topics and his distress at others.

The interplay between Mutterperl and Evan Howard, who played Ed, Christopher's father, illustrated the strained relationship between father and son. Howard, while convincingly yelling at Christopher in the first act for being a nuisance, displayed Ed's vulnerability and worry for his son as a voice inside Christopher's head as he navigated the Tube.

Miranda Khoury provided some much-needed relief from Christopher and Ed's tension as Mrs. Alexander, a kind old woman who is a neighbor of the Boones. Khoury committed fully to the physicality of her character, bent to an uncomfortable angle throughout and walking in short, slow strides that contrasted with Christopher's robotic movements.

Within Curious Incident, the cast took care with the realism of their performances, and the masterful tech work reminded the audience through whose eyes they saw the story. The narrative was cohesive and convincing, centered around how someone considered "other" managed to celebrate our common humanity.

Lena Weiman
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Submitted for publication to Alexandria Times

A dog gets impaled with a garden fork, but who did it? And why? And when? And also, how does one navigate the Tube? All of these questions are answered in Thomas Jefferson High School's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

The play, written by Simon Stephens, was based on the book with the same title written by Mark Haddon. The play is centered around a young autistic boy named Christopher, who lives in England. His world is turned upside down when he finds his neighbor's dead dog, and as he begins to investigate, more and more secrets about his own life are revealed. This touching show allows the audience into Christopher's mind and follows him through his relationships with his parents, Ed and Judy, his teacher, Siobhan, and the complex, and sometimes overwhelming, world around him.

The whole cast did an impeccable job, especially during the first act, when a majority of the ensemble was on stage. The ensemble helped to set up various scenes using simple blocks and props to create each location, and the blocking and timing of every shift of scenery was flawless. Their energy as a whole added to the show, and although some of them did not speak, their physicality and visible interest in the scenes made for an extremely dynamic show.

Joshua Mutterperl, who played Christopher, fully embodied Christopher down to his nervous tics and British accent. His consistent character and commitment to the role made for a stand-out performance. Mutterperl's respectful and accurate embodiment of a child on the autistic spectrum showed his clear research and dedication to an accurate portrayal of the role.

Evan Howard and Madelyn Khoury, who played Christopher's mother and father, depicted multi-facetted relationships with Christopher, as well as Valerie Nayak, who played Siobhan. Evan Howard did an excellent job of portraying a complex father-son relationship; his raw emotion and rough demeanor contrasted well with the frazzled feminine energy of Madelyn Khoury. Valerie Nayak's consistent accent and encouraging attitude had a centering and calming aspect on the show, just as her character, Siobhan, calmed Christopher.

The technical aspects of the show were very strong. The symbolic use of color throughout the set, lights, projections, and costumes added another level to the play. The large LED wall, also known as "the grid," was an impressive addition to the show. A completely custom made computer software was designed to control the LED grid, and each cue was right on time. The rest of the set was simple, but extremely effective when paired with the well rehearsed ensemble.

Overall, TJ's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was enjoyable, moving, and educational, and each aspect of the show, from the acting to the props, had a deep meaning and purpose that made the play a truly special experience.

Grace Chen
HB Woodlawn Secondary Program
Submitted for publication to Connection

As the saying goes, curiosity gets the cat, or perhaps the dog, in Thomas Jefferson High School's performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Fifteen-year old mathematical genius Christopher Boone finds his neighbor Mrs. Shears' dog, Wellington, dead with a garden fork in its side in her backyard, and sets out to bring the killer to justice. In spite of his father's demands that he keep out of other people's business, Christopher ventures on to discover more about his own family—and himself—than he ever knew before.

Originally written as a novel by Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime took on a new form in the theatre at the hands of Simon Stephens. After premiering at London's Royal National Theatre, it went on to win Best New Play at the 2013 Olivier Awards. From there, it traveled across the Atlantic over to the Kennedy Center in 2016.

As The Curious Incident follows the story of a young man on the spectrum, the show stands right on the balance between dramatic and light-hearted. Joshua Mutterperl's respectful and accurate portrayal of Christopher brought to light a sensitive character who deserves to be heard and seen. His confidence blossomed under the calm and reassuring guidance of Siobhan (Valerie Nayak), his school mentor and life teacher, who helps him understand how people emote and how to behave under societal guidelines. Most empathetic of all were Christopher's parents, Ed (Evan Howard) and Judy (Madelyn Khoury), who were able to portray their solid chemistry with Christopher in their separate but loving ways. Even Mrs. Alexander (Miranda Khoury) was sweet and accommodating as she unveiled the real reason for his mother's departure.

The main cast might have shone in their deeply human roles, but the ensemble was also incredibly well-rehearsed and immersed in the story at all times. Every beat, every moment of silence, and every choreographed movement resonated through the stage and helped to push the story along.

TJ's tech team easily portrayed Christopher's structured universe with assistance from lights (Joshua Malley, Matthew Rothlisberger, Rachel Kwon, and Shruthi Rajesh); and animated projections of Christopher's thoughts (Molly Barron, Esha Khator, Rachel Kwon, Masha Molchanova, and Svetlana Pack). A 12-foot high and 20-foot long LED grid stood tall behind the actors, illuminating them with uncomfortable yellows and faithful reds—all in accordance to Christopher's feelings. Costumes (Ellen Rowe, Emma Barnes, Inaayah Khan, Ynez Nevarez, and Macy Wright) made it evident to the audience who they were to trust; red, Christopher's favorite color, was donned by Siobhan and Ed, and any in brown or yellow, Christopher's least favorite colors, were to be considered strangers.

Through all of the heart-breaking moments and grin-worthy scenes, Thomas Jefferson's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime expertly combined technology with emotion to craft a show worth seeing for all its nuances.

Skye Schofield-Saba
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology's (TJ) production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Simon Stephens was very moving and well thought out. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, based on the novel by Mark Haddon, first premiered in 2012 at the Royal National Theater in London before coming to the Apollo Theater in West End on March 12, 2013. Shortly after premiering, it won a Tony Award for best Play of 2015.

The story centers around Christopher Boone (Joshua Mutterperl) an autistic boy who is exceptional in math and science but struggles with his interactions with people in ordinary life. When he finds his neighbor's, Mrs. Shears (Emma Barnes), dog dead in her yard, his life takes a twist full of secrets and truths. Christopher navigates his way through this hard time and learns what it really means to love and care for the people in his life.

Navigating a cruel and complicated world is one of life's hardest obstacles, and doing so alone is monumentally more challenging. In TJ's performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Christopher (Joshua Mutterperl) isolates himself from his father, Ed (Evan Howard), and even talks about his mother, Judy (Madelyn Khoury) as if she was a stranger. The way Mutterperl utilized Christopher's tics, such as fiddling with his zipper, or touching his ear to portray his discomfort around people, really showed a deep connection and understanding of his character. At every turn, Christopher pushed someone who was trying to support him away. For example, Mrs. Alexander (Miranda Khoury), who portrayed a perfect kind old lady, kept having to remind Christopher that she was his friend when he called her a stranger. The usage of color and illustration was an especially meaningful insight to Christopher's mind. The characters who wore Christopher's favorite color, red, had a sense of safety surrounding them in contrast to those who wore yellows or browns. Siobhan (Valerie Nayak), clad in a solid red dress, was a constant peacekeeper in Christopher's chaotic mind and Nayak used her calming voice and obvious love for her student very effectively. The projections (Molly Barron, Esha Khator, Rachel Kwon, Marsha Molchanova, and Svetlana Pack) really aided the audience in understanding how Christopher felt. The projections of the two hands reaching out to connect and just barely missing every time were very moving and tied into the theme of Christopher not being able to see the love that is offered to him.

The Set Construction, Lighting, and Sound Teams really tied the show together. The giant grid of LED lights was truly a center of the show. It was a great reflection of Christopher, who sees things in very geometrical and literal way. The bursts of color in the London Tube scene and the heart monitor when he is told his mother died are examples of how these Teams used the grid to its full benefit.

Even after the lights went out and the curtains closed, TJ's performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time challenged me to think about love and it's sacrifices. The whole cast and crew used their movements collectively to showcase love, even if Christopher was blind to it. In a world that is very isolating and individual, the love emanating from this play is very clear. Congratulate Thomas Jefferson High School's Drama program for a job well done.