By Mackenzie Bruen, a student at Baldwinsville’s C.W. Baker High School
Grab your notebook and get ready to brush up on your detective skills as you prepare to help Christopher Boone solve the horrifying mystery of who killed Wellington. Did I mention that Wellington is the neighbor’s dog?
I had the opportunity to see The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Timeat Syracuse Stage on Friday, October 27th, opening night. Directed by Risa Brainin, with playwright by Simon Stephens, the show takes place in Swindon, Great Britain, and follows a brilliant fifteen-year-old boy on the autism spectrum named Christopher Francis Boone, portrayed by Mickey Rowe. Christopher becomes an accidental detective when he finds the body of his neighbor's impaled with a garden fork. He is now faced with the challenge of finding out who killed Wellington. Throughout his journey, Christopher faces many obstacles and not only finds clues about the murder, but information about himself and his family that he had never known before.
One of the many things I found unbelievable about this production was the set design. On the stage there are three rectangular metal structures on wheels that resemble windows. These pieces are moved around throughout the play in order to create a different setting. The way that these structures are incorporated into the show is genius and flows beautifully with the story unfolding onstage. They are twisted and turned and used in countless ways to advance the plot, and they look amazing while doing it. Another major part of the set is a large square background filled with smaller squares inside of it, like a grid. This grid lights up to display stunning backdrops that correspond directly with Christopher’s thoughts. This allows the audience to see into Christopher’s mind in order to better understand how he thinks. The grid also changes color and drastically affects the mood of a scene. The set design is brilliant and is reason alone to see the play.
Mickey Rowe is the first actor on the autism spectrum to play the role of Christopher Boone. His ground-breaking debut was more than impressive. Rowe managed to capture exactly how a young boy with autism would act and react. From his speech pattern, to the twitching of his hands and feet, every detail was accounted for. Rowe clearly has an incredible understanding of Christopher, and his connection with the character is undoubtedly shown onstage. His performance left me, and the rest of the audience, in tears and with a better understanding of how the mind of someone with autism works. Not only was Rowe’s connection with his character strong, but his strength and agility adds a great deal to the performance. Christopher performs a number of “stunts” that require his body to defy limits and perform in an anti-gravity fashion. Rowe’s unbelieve talent and technique drew the wide-eyed audience in and left every person wondering how he was able to pull off such stunts. Mickey Rowe is making making history at Syracuse Stage.
The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Timeexceeded my expectations and left me wanting more. The play is full of heart-stopping moments and unexpected plot twists that you won’t believe. The set design combined with the talent of the cast creates a beautiful product that you won’t want to miss. I am honored to have been able to attend such a thought-provoking performance. I suggest that you buy your tickets fast, because you won’t want to miss this show. Join Christopher Boone and jump head-first into a mystery that won’t solve itself, and answer the question that everyone is asking; who do you think killed Wellington? You have to be at least a little curious, right? Find all the answers at Syracuse Stage.