THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME Comes to Hackmatack

Never before, in decades of directing shows, has Danielle Howard staged a drama quite like the award-winning play about a boy on the autism spectrum that is opening at Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick next month.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," which opens July 3, takes place mainly in the head of the main character, a teenager who thinks differently from Howard, the actors in the show or the vast majority of audience members.

"It's so different from anything I've done," said Howard, "You're getting inside someone's head and creating the physical world in terms of how Christopher sees things."

The way Christopher sees things is in part determined by the reality of his being on the spectrum. But it is also determined by the fact that Christopher is a unique human being, a teenager and a loving, intelligent person in his own right.

"I had to educate myself a lot," Howard admitted. "I didn't want it to be a generic story of a person with autism. I want it to show an understanding of how Christopher in particular sees the world."

Adding to both the challenge and the intrigue of the production, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" includes 57 distinct scenes. The challenge in those scenes is to depict the intense feelings and extremely reactive senses that make Christopher who he is. Lighting and projection designer Bretton Ries and set designer Dane Leeman play central roles in that, according to Howard.

Howard's talent exploring the motivations and inner lives of her characters led Hackmatack Artistic Director Crystal Lisbon of Dover to choose Howard to direct "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time."

"Danielle has an amazing ability to explore characters," said Lisbon. "She reads a script with a depth that allows her to create characters that draw the audience fully into a story, Christopher's autism is not the sum of all he is, Howard pointed out. He is also a teenager learning painful things about his parents, his neighbors and the world that would be dramatic for any teenager.

This play, which is actually a play within a play, tells of Christopher's detective work to uncover who killed his neighbor's dog. His teacher and mentor, Siobahn, narrates the story and is a key part of the show's character.

Played by Jessica Miller of Portsmouth, Siobhan is at once compassionate and firm. In real life, Miller is a math teacher, which means she really gets the part of Christopher that is attached to and fascinated by numbers. She also has a great sense of humor, Howard said, a central ingredient in her successful work with Christopher, who is played by Colin Prato of Yarmouth, a 22-year-old student at the University of New Hampshire.

One of the performances, on Thursday, July 11, will be a fundraiser for Madison's Cafe in South Berwick, a restaurant that hires employees with special needs, including those on the spectrum." Each ticket Madison's sells for the July 11 showing of the musical will raise $10 or $15 for the café, depending on if it's a full price or a senior ticket. This performance will open with a 5-minute introduction by folks from Madison's.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" is based on the best-selling book of the same name about a 15-year-old autistic boy who solves the secret of a murdered dog - and in the process solves several other mysteries. The novel was written by Mark Haddon and the play, which won a Tony in 2015 for best play, was written by Simon Stephens.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" runs July 3 to 20 with shows 8 pm Wed. to Sat. and 2 pm on Thursdays July 4, 11 and 18. For more information, go to http://www.hackmatack.org or call 207-698-1807.