Bronxville High School students will present “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” as their fall production from Nov. 2-4. Under the expert guidance of theater director Robert Cross, the production is made possible thanks to the talented cast and crew members and infusion of new theater technology.

Adapted from the bestselling novel by Mark Haddon, the funny and poignant play is about adolescence, fractured families and growing up. It follows Christopher Boone, a neurodivergent teen who is brilliant at math but much less adept at social interactions. All the events of the play are filtered through his mind as he struggles to untangle the mystery of his dead neighbor’s dog and the secrets of his own family.

“I hope the audience will fall in love with the prickly charms of Christopher, our central character,” Cross said. “As a neurodivergent teen, he experiences the world through a unique prism – as highly structured and mathematical in form but also chaotic and overwhelming. There is a constant tension between his driving need to find order and logic versus the confusing aural, visual and emotional sensations he is bombarded with along his journey.”

Cross said the character’s journey of self-discovery and self-actualization also dovetails with the classic coming-of-age story, and audience members can recognize reflections of themselves in Christopher as he struggles with and breaks through his own limitations.

The production boasts 16 talented actors and 20 crew members, who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes. The cast is led by Jeffrey Rohr (Christopher), Gwen Kirst (Siobhan), Manny Rivera (Ed), Aryia Banihashem Ahmad (Judy), AJ Diaz (Roger), Kat Seuffert (Mrs. Alexander), Abigail Chang (Mrs. Gascoyne), Elle Reilly (Mrs. Shears), Jack Pasquale (Ensemble) and Maeve McWilliams (Ensemble).

Cross said he is excited to debut several new pieces of theater technology to stage Christopher’s world from Paddington Station to the streets of Willesden, outer space and more. Thanks to a generous grant from the Bronxville School Foundation, he and his students have countless possibilities to stage the unstageable as the auditorium is equipped with a powerful, professional-grade stage projector and a new rear-projection screen.

Article written by Plamena Quintavalla

Photo courtesy of the Bronxville School Foundation