The SMHS theater department will put on their first production of the school year, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, starting Thursday November 2nd, with shows on Friday and into the weekend, as well as next weekend. It is the main event for the theater department in the first semester of school. Because this is the first show of the year that the theater department is doing, there is a lot of excitement in the air as cast and crew members anticipate everything that comes along with putting on a play: the pre-show jitters, putting on costumes, doing makeup and hair in a hurry to be ready on time, the feeling of pride and pure joy on stage, and the sense of accomplishment when a standing ovation occurs at the end of the show. The students that are a part of the show cannot wait for everybody to see what they have been working diligently from the first day of school until now. Opening week is very exciting for both performers and spectators!
Being a part of the theater department is a special and wonderful experience, especially for upperclassmen that have been doing shows with the department for multiple years.
“I really enjoy getting to be in the shows at San Marcos because it is a space for me to be myself. I am able to forget about anything I am going through in my personal life and it is a great outlet. All the people in the cast are so fun, goofy, bubbly and just overall amazing people,” said junior Maddie Weber, who has been involved in theater at SM since she was a freshman and runs the social media accounts for SM Theater. She also gave a shout out to Mrs. Saleh, the SM Theater Director and the mastermind behind all of the magnificent musicals and plays, “We wouldn’t be able to do these productions without Mrs. Saleh. She always pushes us to be a better version of ourselves as humans and performers. The amount of detail she puts into our shows is what makes them stand out. Getting to work with her behind the scenes and talk through the details; from how our program will be presented to our sets and which color paints we will use, makes me appreciate all the hard work and dedication that she shows to our theater department and students.”
Curious Incident is unique compared to past shows, specifically fall plays performed at San Marcos, according to cast members.
“For the plays that we’ve put on during my four years, this is the first drama that we’ve put on. The subject matter is much heavier,” said senior Elise Tsoukalas.
The play follows fifteen year-old Christopher Boone, who is autistic and views the world in different ways than most people do. It was first a book, but later was made into a play. In Curious Incident, you will get to witness how Christopher’s mind works and how his autism affects the way he interacts with others, as well as how he is determined to never give up on problems that he believes need solving. Besides the dramatic aspect of the play, another distinctive thing about it is that audience members will not sit in the auditorium seats, but on the stage. This is unusual because the stage is typically where the performers are, not the spectators. Now, audience members will get an up-close view of the action in Curious Incident, and they will get to experience the play in a different way. The last time that SM had the audience on stage for the fall play was for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare; Abridged, which was nearly four years ago, so the fact that they are able to have the audience on stage again after so long is truly incredible. Audience members will be closer to the action of the play, and be able to really understand the character’s emotions and feelings in depth. When watching, they will fully absorb what the characters are saying and doing because of their close proximity to the stage.
Many people in the cast of Curious Incident are seniors, and this is their last fall play at SM. Typically, seniors get to play the bigger roles in the show because they have had the most experience with acting and theater.
“I don’t think there’s any specific scene that I’m especially excited for people to see. I’m more excited for people to get to experience the relationships between Christopher and the rest of the world, and how he interprets things that many people sometimes take for granted. He is so incredibly brilliant and I am excited for people to gain a new perspective on life, taking risks, and stepping out of your comfort zone through his journey,” said senior Milo Bustany, who plays the lead role of Christopher Boone.
Seniors like Bustany are overjoyed to be a part of the fall play because they love performing and they are very passionate about being on stage. In addition to that, they have been doing theater for years and years, and have built strong friendships through theater that will last their entire lives.
Overall, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is guaranteed to be an amazing production. Students at SM have worked hard every day for the past two and a half months to put on this play, and so many components go into making it happen. From memorizing lines to applying perfect eyeliner, from constructing the set to making sure the microphones are working properly, there is so much to do when producing a play, or any type of production for that matter. If you come to this play, you will be dazzled by fabulous acting and talented SM students doing what they love the most, performing! If you follow the @smhstheater account on Instagram as well as TikTok, you will receive many updates and news about the theater department as well as fun behind-the-scenes action and photos of the shows that are put on! In the bio of the instagram account, there is a link to purchase tickets for Curious Incident on GoFan. Opening night is tonight, November 2nd at seven pm, and there are shows tomorrow, November 3rd and Saturday, November 4th at seven pm as well. On Sunday, November 5th there is a matinee show at two pm. Next week, there are seven pm shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It is sure to be a show like none other, so get your tickets now and do not miss out!
