Beginning a Conversation

One of the core thematic aspects of this production of Curious Incident is the belief that we can empathize with people more when we learn to see the way they process the world. In this specific case, we directly confront how the character of Christopher experiences his world, and how the characters intimately tied to Christopher are in turn impacted by his experience.

Simon Stephens’ play and Mark Haddon’s novel both refrain from definitively identifying Christopher as a young man with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although his behavioral patterns imply strong connections to ASD. Based on the foundation of strong textual clues within both the script and the novel, our production chooses to accept ASD as a framework through which we can better understand Christopher and the way he experiences the world. As such, it is important to begin the rehearsal process with a brief introduction to ASD. This blog post is only the beginning of a conversation about how we can best tell the story of Christopher.

The CDC approximates that 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with ASD. Symptoms of ASD begin in early childhood, and persist in daily life. Symptoms fall into two categories: social communication challenges, and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Social communication challenges suggest that someone with ASD may not appropriately use or understand facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, tone of voice, and/or spoken language. Someone with ASD may also struggle recognizing and expressing emotions, seeking emotional comfort, and/or feeling overwhelmed in social situations. Restrictive and repetitive behaviors may include ritualistic behaviors, extreme or narrow interests in specific topics, a need for routine, and/or repetitive body movements. To some degree, Christopher displays most of these symptoms. It will be important to thoughtfully and carefully consider how this production negotiates a balance and dynamic between Christopher’s symptoms in a way that is, at its core, respectful and sensitive to the experiences of those with ASD (although every experience is incredibly unique!).

Additionally, some people with ASD may experience sensory issues, as they can be over-responsive or under-responsive to stimuli, such as tastes, touch, smells, sounds, and sights. Christopher’s recurring experience of sensory overload is not only central to the plot of Curious Incident, but also to its design aspects. Watch this video, which simulates the sensory overload experience.