SOCORRO, N.M. – Part mystery, part character exploration and completely engrossing, a contemporary play staged by the Vortex Theater in Albuquerque will unfold at New Mexico Tech’s Macey Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” marks the second time the Performing Arts Series (PAS) has worked with the Vortex Theater and its professional staff to bring live theater to town.

“We are so excited to bring another full-scale theatrical production to our Macey Center stage,” PAS Director Ronna Kalish said. “The Vortex staff, from the front office to backstage, have been a delight to work with, and the play itself tells a fascinating tale.”

Prior to the event, Tech Club Macey will host “Schmooze, Booze and Bites” from 6 to 7:30 p.m., featuring adult beverages and a comfort food menu of grilled-cheese sandwich quarters and house-made chips. The evening’s activity is “Who Am I?” and features Bloody Mary and Scarlet O’Hara specials.

Directed by Leslee Richards, the play by Simon Stephens and based on the eponymous novel by Mark Haddon in its premiere run, tied the record for winning the most Olivier Awards (seven) at the 2013 ceremony, including Best New Play; and received the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play. Its 2012 premiere was staged at the prestigious National Theatre in London.

(The Olivier record was surpassed with nine wins by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in 2017.)

About the Play

Set in London and Swindon in the United Kingdom, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” involves a mystery surrounding the death of a neighbor’s dog. Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old amateur detective, takes on the investigation.

Boone is a mathematical genius who appears to have an unspecified autism spectrum condition, and the play explores his relationships with his parents and a school mentor.

The boy’s search for the murderer of the dog is met with resistance from neighbors, but mostly from his father, Ed Boone. Christopher argues to himself that many rules are made to be broken, so he continues to search for an answer, comparing himself to Sherlock Holmes.

The mystery deepens when Christopher discovers his father lied about his mother’s death, and fears for his own life. His investigation leads him to London where he is reunited with his mother, and back to Swindon, where he reconciles with his father and passes the GCE Advanced Level Mathematics exam.

In a short scene after the curtain call, young Boone reappears to brilliantly solve his “favorite question” from the mathematics exam.

“‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ will find a very receptive audience within the New Mexico Tech and Socorro communities,” Kalish said. “It’s brilliantly written and creatively staged, with a cast that breathes life into characters we care about.”

The play reworked the source material by changing its voice and presenting the story as a play-within-a-play. It’s received a warm reception, with critics impressed by its ability to convey the point of view of the young protagonist and the compassion of his school mentor.

The play features Tim Crofton as Ed, Bridget S. Dunne as Judy, and Holly Gilster as Sioban. The cast also includes Thomas Yegerlehner as Christopher. Laira Magnusson, Tait Pederson, Ninette Mordaunt, Bon Boulom, Hannah Davis and Caedmon Holland form the ensemble. Judith Chazen-Bennahum is the movement director, with Mary Rossman as set designer.

About the Writers, et al

Leslee Richards is a director, actor and designer with several directorial successes at the Vortex and Adobe Theatres. “This is a tremendously challenging play,” she said of the Simon Stephens-penned adaptation. “We are trying to give the audience a picture of how Christopher’s brain works, and it is a very unusual brain.”

Her directing credits range from “Pride and Prejudice” at Adobe, to “An American Daughter” at The Vortex. She has played wide-ranging roles from Candida (lead role) at Adobe, to Richard III (Duchess of York) at The Vortex and “The Wizard of Oz” (Wicked Witch of the West) at the Albuquerque Little Theatre.

Richards serves on the Vortex board of directors and as chair of the Artistic Committee, Development Committee and Facilities Management. With her husband Frank Fine, she is co-owner of Sun Tours.

Judith Chazin-Bennahum, the movement director, became principal soloist with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company when Antony Tudor was director of ballet. She danced with numerous choreographers such as Agnes de Mille, Robert Joffrey, and briefly with George Balanchine. Now a dance historian, her books include Dance in the Shadow of the Guillotine, The Ballets of Antony Tudor, and René Blum and the Ballets Russes.

Simon Stephens is an English playwright who taught on the Young Writers’ Programme at London’s National Theatre and is now an Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith. His writing is widely performed throughout Europe and, along with Dennis Kelly and Martin Crimp, he is one of the most-performed English-language writers in Germany.

In 2003, author Mark Haddon, known primarily for his children’s books, won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award – in the Novels rather than Children’s Books category – for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” He also won the Commonwealth Writers Prize in the Best First Book category.

In an interview at Powells.com, Haddon claimed that this was the first book he wrote intentionally for an adult audience, and was surprised when his publisher suggested marketing it to both adult and child audiences. The book was very successful with adults and children alike.

The Vortex, Albuquerque’s oldest continuously-running Black Box Theatre, has been a pioneering venue for classic, contemporary, and cutting-edge theatre since 1976. The theatre continues to entertain audiences with some of Albuquerque’s finest stage productions, from local and national premieres to new interpretations of classic works.

Sponsors for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” the Anne Sullivan Bronze Memorial event, are Survice Engineering Co., American Associated Universities (National Radio Astronomy Observatory), Cirk Bejnar and the New Mexico Tech Student Government Association.

This event coincides with the Karl J. Jansky Very Large Array’s first Saturday of the month guided tours.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $10 for youth 17 and under. Tech students will be admitted free with their student ID at the door, or can pick up one ticket each at the Tech Bookstore.

Tickets also can be purchased online at nmtpas.org, or at the following locations: New Mexico Tech Cashier (Fidel Center), Sofia’s Kitchen or the PAS office (call 835-5688 for directions).

– NMT –