The disabled community has long been divided on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The story, told through the eyes of a neurodivergent teenager, has sparked debate about whether it accurately represents autism or unintentionally stereotypes it. River Hetzel, a nonbinary actor with autism who plays Christopher Boone in the Aurora Fox Arts Center's new production, is acutely aware of this nuance.
"Within the disability community, there's always this discord about Curious Incident over whether it's good representation or not," Hetzel admits. "I was initially hesitant to audition because I wasn't sure how the team would handle it, but it's a role that I felt a kinship with. My perspective on the character is that it is a great starter to get people who maybe are not aware or educated about people with autism, because everyone can relate to Christopher's experience."
Based on Mark Haddon’s best-selling 2003 novel and adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens, Curious Incident follows Christopher, a boy with an extraordinary mind for mathematics but profound difficulty navigating everyday life. When Christopher discovers that his neighbor's dog, Wellington, has been murdered, his efforts to solve the mystery reveal unexpected truths about his family.
"One of my favorite Christopher moments is when he gets to go to the police station, and I say, 'gets to go,' because he is excited about being in the police station," Hetzel says. "Sure, he got brought in because he was accused of killing a dog, but it's a new experience and exciting. That’s something I had to explore with this character because it couldn't all be scary, or then it's just one note. I hope to do justice to the character and show people this important story in the most authentic way I possibly can."
That authenticity is no accident. The Aurora Fox brought on Ben Raanan, artistic director of Phamaly Theatre Company, the country's longest-running professional theater company dedicated to disability, as the show's autism consultant. Raanan’s guidance was instrumental in shaping a version of Christopher that feels deeply human.
"Ben told me, ‘You can’t just be River up there,’ which was a breakthrough moment for me," Hetzel says. "I’ve had to learn to truthfully represent a more intense version of autism than I have now. I kept making the joke that there are two wolves inside of me and they both have different autisms, but I had to allow myself to go there. I focused on making sure everything felt genuine from me while also doing justice to people with autism who require more support than I do."
Richard R. Cowden, the play's director and the Aurora Fox's executive producer, says he brought Raanan on board because he's "a great friend and colleague. I also wanted to produce this play with neurodivergent actors in the role of Christopher. Ben was sort of a natural first call to be like, ‘Am I crazy for thinking about doing it this way?’ and he goes, ‘No, actually, I think if we message this the right way, you're going to get a really strong contingent from the autism community to come out for the show,’ and we did."
The Fox had "eight or nine" neurodivergent actors audition for the production, and three were ultimately cast: Hetzel, understudy Gabriel Hannah Smothers and ensemble member Katelyn Kendrick, all of whom perform regularly with Phamaly. Cowden, who sees every production he directs as a learning opportunity, is focused on learning as much about autism as possible.
"Ben is fond of saying this, and I stole this expression from him: ‘If you’ve met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person,' and that's really our approach," he says. "There is no way that one could direct a single person's story and hope to capture all of the nuance, richness and diversity that lives within any particular disability or special needs community. Instead, what we focus on is what this guy's version of autism is. Then, with River and Gabriel, it's how do we find the approach? Because River and Christopher's autism aren't the same."
For Cowden, the decision to stage Curious Incident was multifaceted. “I don't think it’s a crime to do plays that people want to see and I knew this is a really popular show, so I thought it would make a good anchor to the season," he says. "Then there's the director part of me and this show has been on my personal list for a long time, even though I've never seen this play, but I love to direct stuff that I've never seen. The final reason I chose this show is because I think it's an important story about a family in crisis, which a lot of people can relate to nowadays."
The Aurora Fox’s production leans into Christopher’s perspective with minimalist design and immersive technical elements. “Everything we experience as an audience is filtered through Christopher’s journey,” Cowden says. The stage features only four moveable black cubes and a set angled like a giant geometric box, creating spaces that feel both clinical and internal.
Projections and lighting reflect Christopher’s sensory experiences, with line-drawing-inspired visuals echoing illustrations from the original novel. Even the sound design has a personal touch. Cowden designed the show's sound effects, while his 17-year-old son, Liam, composed original electronic music under the name Skipper.
“It’s got this Stranger Things feel — very synth-heavy and atmospheric with a lot of synth patches," Cowden says. "He's been working really hard on it and it's been fun having him collaborate on this.”
The Aurora Fox's opening weekend included a resource fair and special programming related to the city's One Book, One Aurora initiative, which provided opportunities for community engagement about autism and disability. Organizations such as Phamaly and the Autism Community Store set up tables in the lobby throughout the weekend to provide information and resources, and on Sunday, there were pre-show receptions and a talkback with the director and cast, allowing audiences to interact deeply with the material.
Although these events have passed, they underscore the theater's commitment to inclusivity and connection, reinforcing the show's themes of understanding and empathy.
“I hope that people who maybe haven't seen a Phamaly show before come to this show and then maybe I should go check them out, too,” Hetzel says. “As a society, people still don’t know how to react to disability or are scared of it, but everyone, at some point in their life, will become disabled. I hope that this play will loosen fears people have about the disabled community and open worlds to people that they haven't seen before.”
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, through Sunday, April 13, at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 East Colfax Avenue. Tickets are $17 to $42; learn more at aurorafoxartscenter.org.
"Within the disability community, there's always this discord about Curious Incident over whether it's good representation or not," Hetzel admits. "I was initially hesitant to audition because I wasn't sure how the team would handle it, but it's a role that I felt a kinship with. My perspective on the character is that it is a great starter to get people who maybe are not aware or educated about people with autism, because everyone can relate to Christopher's experience."
Based on Mark Haddon’s best-selling 2003 novel and adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens, Curious Incident follows Christopher, a boy with an extraordinary mind for mathematics but profound difficulty navigating everyday life. When Christopher discovers that his neighbor's dog, Wellington, has been murdered, his efforts to solve the mystery reveal unexpected truths about his family.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time follows Christopher, a boy with an exceptional mind for mathematics but profound difficulties navigating everyday life.
Courtesy of RDG Photography
That authenticity is no accident. The Aurora Fox brought on Ben Raanan, artistic director of Phamaly Theatre Company, the country's longest-running professional theater company dedicated to disability, as the show's autism consultant. Raanan’s guidance was instrumental in shaping a version of Christopher that feels deeply human.
"Ben told me, ‘You can’t just be River up there,’ which was a breakthrough moment for me," Hetzel says. "I’ve had to learn to truthfully represent a more intense version of autism than I have now. I kept making the joke that there are two wolves inside of me and they both have different autisms, but I had to allow myself to go there. I focused on making sure everything felt genuine from me while also doing justice to people with autism who require more support than I do."
Richard R. Cowden, the play's director and the Aurora Fox's executive producer, says he brought Raanan on board because he's "a great friend and colleague. I also wanted to produce this play with neurodivergent actors in the role of Christopher. Ben was sort of a natural first call to be like, ‘Am I crazy for thinking about doing it this way?’ and he goes, ‘No, actually, I think if we message this the right way, you're going to get a really strong contingent from the autism community to come out for the show,’ and we did."
The Aurora Fox’s production of Curious Incident centers Christopher’s perspective through immersive technical elements that put you inside his head.
Courtesy of RDG Photography
"Ben is fond of saying this, and I stole this expression from him: ‘If you’ve met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person,' and that's really our approach," he says. "There is no way that one could direct a single person's story and hope to capture all of the nuance, richness and diversity that lives within any particular disability or special needs community. Instead, what we focus on is what this guy's version of autism is. Then, with River and Gabriel, it's how do we find the approach? Because River and Christopher's autism aren't the same."
For Cowden, the decision to stage Curious Incident was multifaceted. “I don't think it’s a crime to do plays that people want to see and I knew this is a really popular show, so I thought it would make a good anchor to the season," he says. "Then there's the director part of me and this show has been on my personal list for a long time, even though I've never seen this play, but I love to direct stuff that I've never seen. The final reason I chose this show is because I think it's an important story about a family in crisis, which a lot of people can relate to nowadays."
The Aurora Fox’s production leans into Christopher’s perspective with minimalist design and immersive technical elements. “Everything we experience as an audience is filtered through Christopher’s journey,” Cowden says. The stage features only four moveable black cubes and a set angled like a giant geometric box, creating spaces that feel both clinical and internal.
"Everything we experience as an audience is filtered through Christopher's journey," explains director Richard Cowden.
Courtesy of RDG Photography
“It’s got this Stranger Things feel — very synth-heavy and atmospheric with a lot of synth patches," Cowden says. "He's been working really hard on it and it's been fun having him collaborate on this.”
The Aurora Fox's opening weekend included a resource fair and special programming related to the city's One Book, One Aurora initiative, which provided opportunities for community engagement about autism and disability. Organizations such as Phamaly and the Autism Community Store set up tables in the lobby throughout the weekend to provide information and resources, and on Sunday, there were pre-show receptions and a talkback with the director and cast, allowing audiences to interact deeply with the material.
Although these events have passed, they underscore the theater's commitment to inclusivity and connection, reinforcing the show's themes of understanding and empathy.
“I hope that people who maybe haven't seen a Phamaly show before come to this show and then maybe I should go check them out, too,” Hetzel says. “As a society, people still don’t know how to react to disability or are scared of it, but everyone, at some point in their life, will become disabled. I hope that this play will loosen fears people have about the disabled community and open worlds to people that they haven't seen before.”
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, through Sunday, April 13, at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 East Colfax Avenue. Tickets are $17 to $42; learn more at aurorafoxartscenter.org.
