by Bailey Basham, Messenger Staff Writer

The University’s latest socially-distanced theatrical performance is set to debut this weekend. Originally a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is about a teenage boy who, in an effort to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbor’s dog, finds himself on a journey of self-discovery.

The story was adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens. There will be eight live performances March 18-20 and March 25-27 at 7:30 p.m., and March 21 and 28 at 2 p.m. A livestream will be offered on the final two nights through a link on Eventbrite.com. That specific link will be announced soon.

Jim Crawford, associate professor of theatre and director of the show, said the process of creating a live theatre experience during the pandemic has been daunting, but this story is one that felt particularly timely.

“I’ve had my eye on this play for a while — it’s funny, it’s moving, and it allows you to view the world from an unexpected point of view. I love the novel, which is told from the perspective of Christopher, who is on the autism spectrum, and I was amazed and delighted when it was adapted so successfully for the stage,” Crawford said. “Christopher has issues with being physically close to anyone, and he has trouble reading facial expressions. The idea of a production of this play in which all of the actors were masked and distanced seemed ripe with metaphorical resonance as we’ve all learned something about living with isolation during this past year.”

The show’s cast is made up of 13 University students, led by Tristan Ketcham, Sarah Mixon, Taela Bland and Ben Davis. Professor of Theatre Arts Dan Backlund is behind the set and lighting design, and costuming is being done by visiting assistant professor of theatre Jacquelyn Loy. Bramwell Atkins, a senior at the University, is composing and performing an original musical score.

In observing guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there will be a limit of 35 audience members at each performance, and masks will be required. Social distancing will also be observed in the theatre.

“My heart goes out to people working at professional theatres this past year, doing their best to create theatre that’s dependent on ticket sales to keep themselves going. We’re in a luckier position than they are as we’re living in a relatively safe bubble, and our primary reason for making performances has always been to provide a great educational opportunity for our theatre and dance students. We love sharing shows with our community, but our shows have always been free, so we don’t have the pressure of selling all those tickets. Because of that and to maintain Sewanee’s bubble, seats in the theatre are only open to students, faculty and staff. Watching a masked play online won’t be as satisfying as seeing it in person, but I’m very glad that the friends and families of the students involved will be able to get a chance to see it.”

Tickets are available for reservation by students, faculty and staff at <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/t...;.