Christopher Boone lives in a world that is alien to most of us.
Which is part of what makes “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” now on the Rogue Theatre stage, so delicious — it gives the audience a sense of what it’s like to be Christopher.
He is at the center of the almost-literal adaptation of the Mark Haddon bestseller about a mentally-challenged teen who sets out to solve a mystery about who killed a neighbor’s dog. He can’t tolerate human touch. An abundance of noise and crowds of people frighten him. He is incapable of lying.
He also is a genius at mathematics and can see more with a glance than most can see with a long stare.
That jumbled-in-the-head teen is interpreted beautifully by Hunter Hnat in this Cynthia Meier-directed piece. The fear of another human touching him, the panic that bubbles up when he is with a stranger, the rawness he feels when he’s out of his element, are all present in Hnat’s poignant performance.
In the novel, we are reading a book that Christopher has written as we learn about his innermost thoughts and fears and triumphs.
Stephen Simons, who adapted the play, has put Christopher’s teacher, Siobhan, in the role of the narrator. She reads the book to us and the cast brings scenes alive. Patty Gallagher is empathetic and moving in the role.
Eight of the 10 cast members play multiple roles, serve as a sort of chorus, sometimes echoing what Christopher says, and in effect underscoring the jumbled world that he lives in. There is not a weak link in the strong ensemble, which also included Bryn Booth, James Conway, Samantha Cormier, Holly Griffith, Kathryn Kellner, Ryan Parker Knox, Joseph McGrath, and Matt Walley. Griffith and Knox took center stage more than the others as they portrayed Christopher’s parents. The two upped the tension with their portrayals of the parents who argue with each other often, and struggle with how to do the best for their son.
The theatricality of a bare-bones set, effective lighting and cast members who are storytellers, scene pieces, prop masters and multiple characters with only a change of a hat, if that, is just thrilling. It is a pure form of theater that calls for courage from the director and performers.
Meier and company have created a piece that brings Christopher Boone’s world alive. It’s one worth visiting.
