THEATER

A challenging character and a look at the autism spectrum at Abilene's Paramount Theatre

Paramount Theatre Artistic Director Barry Smoot has nothing but praise for his lead actor in this month's play.

Wade Byington, who takes on a challenging role of Christopher Boone in "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," is asked to juggle a lot.

Smoot said Byington, a veteran of the Paramount stage and Wylie High School graduate, does it well.

"It's quite a lot to ask of the actor who plays Christopher," Smoot said. "It's a commitment. They're always on stage. There's no break. And you have to remember your lines."

The show, making its West Texas premiere, runs four nights over two weekends, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Christopher Boone (Wade Byington) reacts to being surrounded by people and the information in his head in this rehearsal scene from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," which opens Friday at the Paramount Theatre. Sept. 16 2019

Deep layers of emotions

"Curious Incident" shines a light on Christopher, telling his story about needing to pass a math exam and relaying fears and insecurities to his teacher, Siobhan.

There's also a murder mystery involving, as the title suggests, a dog, Wellington, belonging to the neighbors.

Of course, those two plots are just the surface story.

Based loosely on a novel by the same name, a first-person narrative focusing more on the dog's death, the play delves deeply into family, communication and struggling with being a caretaker.

This where it gets particularly tricky for Byington — Christopher is a mathematical genius on the autism spectrum.

"He feels things very deeply," Byington said. "He doesn't know how to interpret these feelings. He can't quantify his feelings.

"The hardest thing for me is to interpret what his feelings are at any moment. Some of our settings are very abstract and he switches moods (snaps fingers) quickly."

Smoot also has asked his actors, not just Byington but the entire 10-actor cast, to speak in British accents. It takes place between London and Swindon (about an hour's train ride west of London).

A fan of British television and mimicking the accent, Byington is capable of producing the accent as needed while balancing everything else he's been asked.

Contrast, not antithesis

Ed Boone (Keith Rocco, left) gets down to his son Christopher's level hoping to comfort him ( Wade Byington) in this rehearsal scene from the Paramount Theatre's production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." Sept. 16 2019

The emotions Byington is forced to portray sometimes come to the audience through quick hits. One moment, Christopher is in his room playing with his trains. The next, he's on the train heading to London.

After that, he's screaming in his mother's face during a complete meltdown.

In the span of a few minutes, the audience experiences shock, joy, excitement and sadness.

Christopher Boone (Wade Byington) plays with his trains before venturing out by himself on one in this rehearsal scene from the Paramount Theatre's production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." Sept. 16 2019

Smoot chose the show, he said, because of its contrast to last year's play, "Our Town," one of the most well-known plays in American history.

"'Our Town' is one of the most established plays there is," Smoot said. "So we are following that up with a newer play. It's not the antithesis of 'Our Town,' but it's not an established play."

Yet, "Curious Incident" could find its way into establishment given enough time. As a highly regarded show in its own right, its London opening won several Olivier Awards and its Broadway rendition took home the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play.

A Paramount debut

Christopher Boone (Wade Byington) lies  prone in his room, overcome with confusion in this rehearsal scene from the Paramount Theatre's production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." Sept. 16 2019

In Smoot's interpretation of the show, the action mostly takes place in Christopher's mind as he relays the story to Siobhan.

So, the teacher and the student are present throughout. For Siobhan, it's sometimes just in the background, observing the action in ways that indicate she's observing from afar.

"A lot of what I do as Siobhan is help Christopher express his thoughts," Grace Day said. "It's an exploration of his character. It's been fascinating."

Day is making her debut at the Paramount Theatre after moving from Virginia to Abilene with her husband, who is in the Air Force.

She's excited to play an older character for once. Most of her previous stage roles, she said, have been younger than her.

Judy Boone (Lori Sims), looking over her son, relates her frustrations about raising him in this rehearsal scene from the Paramount Theatre's production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." Sept. 16 2019

On a personal level, she said she's more empathetic to Christopher's parents, who in the show battle their demons having to be caretakers to a boy prone to emotional outbursts.

A parent herself, she said she's empathetic to the parents, played by Keith Rocco and Lori Sims, and the struggle they go through dealing with their child's emotional instability.

"Being a parent is hard anyway," Day said. "When the child is on the spectrum, it's a unique challenge I don't think many people have empathy for. I think it's easier to have empathy for the (person with autism)."

Based in Abilene, Timothy Chipp covers education and general news for the Reporter-News. If you appreciate his work and that of the rest of the staff, please consider supporting local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com

If you go

What: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"

Where: Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and again Sept. 27-28

Synopsis: The story focuses on Christopher, a young autistic boy with an extraordinary brain. When the neighbor’s dog Wellington is found dead, Christopher launches an investigation into the mystery. As he searches for the truth on his first excursion by himself, he uncovers surprises about himself and his family, exploring the hidden secrets and challenges in everyday life. 

Tickets: $18 available at the theatre's box office or online at the Paramount's website, www.paramount-abilene.org. Only 300 seats will be sold per performance