The Playwrights’ Theatre buzzed with anticipation Thursday night as the stage opened on “A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” the newest production by Sacramento State’s Theatre & Dance Department.
The play, originally a novel written by Mark Hudson before being adapted by Simon Stevens, follows a 15-year-old boy with neurodivergency on a murder mystery turned coming-of-age journey as he confronts the expectations of the people surrounding him.
The lead role of Christopher Boone is played by second-year film major Nate Duke Lopez and third-year theatre major Rohan Bains on intermittent nights.
Bains said he and Lopez have different takes on the character, which brings a distinctive experience to the audience no matter which Christopher they happen to see.
“It’s really cool to see the duality of the same character, same given circumstances, but we ultimately are two completely different people,” Bains said.
Since rehearsals began in January, Bains said Christopher has become more than just a character he plays, but rather an extension of himself.
“Christopher struggles a lot, because he’s different,” Bains said. “A lot of people see him as weird, they see him as something they don’t understand. As Rohan, I really related to that, because for the better part of that phase in my life, I felt those feelings.”
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Throughout the story, Christopher bravely investigates an unexpected murder, familial drama and embarks on a solo trip to the big city where he must learn to navigate the congestion on his own.
Alongside his adventure is his teacher, Siobhan, played by third-year liberal studies major Dream Hudson, with her character providing mentorship and narration throughout the story.
“I love that I got to play a teacher, which is what I’m studying to do. It reminded me so much of working with my students,” Hudson said. “Usually in scripts they tell you what your character is like, but there’s nothing about Siobhan in it at all, so I had to really find my own teacher and switch it up.”
Lopez said he was grateful the role came with the guidance necessary for him and Bains to represent Christopher in a positive light.
“It was definitely a challenge taking on the neurodivergent role, especially not being neurodivergent,” Lopez said. “But I had a lot of support behind me and a lot of practice, and a lot of people giving me coaching along the way.”
In anticipation of casting a neurodivergent role, the show called upon Neurodivergency Coordinator Lynn Baker-Nauman to ensure the role would be handled with the utmost care.
“We want to make sure that we’re representing everyone fairly and without bias and prejudice,” Baker-Nauman said. “Neurodivergency is something that is everywhere and yet a lot of folks don’t really know the term. It’s really important to not only demystify it, but also cut down some of the stigma.”
Baker-Nauman said her experience as a drama therapist and marriage-family therapist prepared her for this position, where she worked closely with both performers of Christopher so they would be well-informed going into their performances.
The show’s director, Christine Nicholson, said the play fell into her lap when the original director retired unexpectedly and gave the script to her. Nicholson said at first she didn’t know what to expect, but has since fallen in love with the show and the cast.
“It’s about a young person finding who they are,” Nicholson said. “We kind of know the tropes of that and where that’s gonna go, and it follows that, but it does it so theatrically, and so unexpectedly.”
During the show, cast members acted out objects such as doors and tables, and vocally performed many of the sound effects. Nicholson said this was a conscious choice to not only make the most out of a lack of resources in the department, but to return to classic storytelling tools.
“In my research, [the play] is driven by a lot of tech. We don’t have a lot of tech, we don’t have the money, we don’t have the facilities, but what we do have are people,” Nicholson said. “So we thought, let’s go back to the basics of theater, which is people telling stories of people for other people.”
Once the doors opened and a flurry of curious patrons flooded the octagonal black-box theater on opening night, Bains said he felt emotional to see everyone’s hard work come to fruition. As a gay man and person of color, Bains said that being represented in a lead role on stage is a momentous feeling.
“The last line of the show, I say, ‘does that mean I can do anything?’ and as Christopher I’m saying it, but as Rohan, it means so much more.”
“A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” will be performing daily beginning March 26, and closing on Sunday, March 30. For more information about tickets and showtimes, visit the Sacramento State Theatre & Dance Department website.
