Olympic Heights Drama Stages Tony Award Winning Play

The+Olympic+Heights+Drama+Department+will+be+staging+The+Curious+Incident+of+the+Dog+in+the+Night-Time%2C+Oct.+19+through+Oct.+22.

The Olympic Heights Drama Department will be staging The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Oct. 19 through Oct. 22.

Olympic Heights Drama Troupe 4992 is prepared to wow its audiences with its first performance of the school year with Simon Stephens’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time. The 2015 Tony Award winner for Best Play, based on Mark Haddon’s novel, follows the story of the lead character Christopher Boone, a 15-year old boy on the autistic spectrum who is accused of killing his neighbor’s dog.  Determined to prove his innocence and solve the mystery, Christopher takes audiences along on a wild journey which leads to the discovery of more than just how the dog passed away.

The role of Christopher is played by senior Ashton Bianchi who says, “I mostly related to Christopher’s anxiety. Even though his is probably more intense than mine due to him being on the spectrum, when I’m becoming my character I can feel my chest starting to hurt.”

Ashton Bianchi (center) plays the lead role of Christopehr Boone in The Curious Incident of Dog in the Night-Time.

Bianchi allows himself to relate to Christopher’s sensory and social issues. Christopher also has a tendency to feel alone in the world, which many teenagers have also felt from time to time. Bianchi’s intention on becoming the role instead of just acting it will create a more believable story as well as a connection between him, his cast mates, and the audience.

In support of Bianchi’s character, senior Christina Styblo plays the role of Judy Bonne: Christopher’s mother. Christopher’s mother has been out of his life since he was a child; however, he still feels a connection to her. When Judy was present in her son’s life, she struggled with dealing with his emotional instability and issues in public situations. Styblo comments, “Judy reminds me of how we should treat people and how we should be kind. I relate to her because she is someone working on her patience for others and I think that’s something that we should all be doing.”

Ed Boone, Christopher’s father, is a complete foil to his former wife. While she considers dealing with her son’s autism as a challenge or burden, Ed patience for Christopher’s outbursts serves as a calming force. His true love for his son makes telling him the entire truth about his mother quite difficult. Junior Brian Araujo who plays Ed Boone says he is excited to, “show the audience he can portray a dramatic character; not just a comedic one.”

Because Christopher struggles with his emotional stability, he goes to a psychologist who helps him deal with all of the challenges he faces. Psychologist Siobhan is played by senior Kayla Asutoy. Her character is extremely vital to the plot of the show because the audience really gets to see what Christopher is feeling and thinking when he is in his sessions. The character offers insight and understanding to the innermost workings of Christopher’s mind.

Asutoy recognizes that “Psychologist Siobhan’s quest throughout the show is to help and be there for Christopher. She also serves as a mother figure to him. I can relate to Siobhan because I love helping people I care about and naturally take on the nurturing role of helping people in need.”

To learn more about Christopher’s mystery case and wild adventures, go see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the OH theater. Performances will be staged on Oct. 19 and 20 at 7:00 p.m., Oct. 21 at 2:00 p.m., and Oct. 22 at 3:15 p.m. For more information, call the OH Theatre box office at (561) 852-6680. The cast and crew hopes to see you there!