Tacoma Little Theatre’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”

Originally published on social media on January 26th, 2025

@tacomalittletheatre has done it again — “The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time” allowed audiences to explore the emotional spectrum while exploring the stream of consciousness of someone who is neurodivergent.

The entire cast was new to performing with TLT, but you would have never known it. Each actor was fully present in their roles and naturally stepped into their character’s shoes. I am truly in awe of Brad Alemao and all the little quirks and twitches he embodied while playing our hero Christopher. Alemao’s emotional range is impressive, and I couldn’t believe how quickly he was able to shift gears as needed.

The set design was spectacular as the entire background consisted of a large screen that changed as the story’s location moved along. The presence of the screen was innovative, and so was the design concept which was meant to look like the blueprints of each location. These blueprints represent how Chris sees the world and allows the audience to step foot into his mathematical mind.

This show feels really important during this time, and I couldn’t pinpoint it until just now: all of the other characters interacted with Chris with in different ways, and each revealed something about society and humanity. Some were patient and warm, others were short, mean, and irritated, and the rest were somewhere in between. Each poor interaction broke my heart not only because it was genuinely sad to witness, but it reminded me of how fragile humanity is. People are imperfect, get mad, and make others mad, and I wish we could treat each other better. The story held the key — understanding takes time, patience, focused listening, and trust. In a world that continues to be polarized, these things feel impossible, but we must keep trying even when we fail. We must stand up after we fall, put on foot in front of the other, and carry on. Chris did, and I think we can too.

I would love to hear what TLT’s production speaks to you — go see it and tell me what you think!