THE CURIOUS INCIDENT of the DOG in the NIGHT-TIME, Make Time to See it

THE CURIOUS…at the Barrymore is based on the highly acclaimed novel of the same, curious title.  British author Mark Haddon was awarded the Whitbread Award for best novel & best book of the year ('03.)  Christopher is a 15 yr. old (15 yr. 3 months & 2 days precisely) somewhere on the scale of autism.  Incredibly brilliant, especially in mathematics, he is lacking in social skills casting him as an outsider.  Christopher is fascinated with trains, spatial relations & the galaxy.  What he enjoys most is enclosing himself in confined spaces to contemplate the order of the universe.  This provides him the serenity that eludes him in social interactions.  Physical contact is something that he cannot tolerate.  He is incapable of lying.  Having discovered his neighbor's dog cruely butchered, Christopher resolves to learn the culprit.  Christopher is played by Alex Sharp, a recent graduate of Julliard.  Sharp plays the role convincingly & sympathetically.  The fulcrum of the play is not about autism but the infinite spectrum of human behaviors: kindness, tolerance & acceptance.  Unlike Christopher, we all tell lies for various reasons.  But like Christopher, we all try to make sense from chaos & broach contact from isolation.  The scenic design is both simple & complex.  It helps us get inside Christopher's mind & emotional state.  The frenzy & over stimulation on the train meant to enlighten us into Christopher's world is over done.  However, this insightful & appealing play asks us to consider another's perspective and to practice tolerance.