Written by: Ritchie Bermudez

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cuesta College’s nationally renowned Theatre Arts Department presents the Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center (CPAC) Experimental Theater. Hailed as “one of the most fully immersive works ever to wallop Broadway” by The New York Times, it opens Dec. 1 and runs through Dec.11 for a limited two-week run. 

Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret daily life. He sets out to identify the true culprit when he is accused of a crime, leading to an earth-shattering discovery and a life-changing journey.

bree valle* directs the Broadway adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel. According to valle, she herself is neurodivergent and on the autism spectrum. She says the lead role of Christopher needed to be portrayed by an actor (Dylan Hahn) who understood the character’s challenges as a neurodivergent individual who navigates the “normal” world from a fascinating perspective. 

“Dylan has spoken openly about his own challenges, not so unlike Christopher’s,” said valle. “We live in an extraordinary time in the history of performance, a moment in which ‘authenticity’ has become immensely important to our industry. I feel it’s our duty as theatre artists to honor and promote representational honesty. This show does that.”

valle says she is thrilled to bring this vital work to the stage because of its rich and experimental nature. “It requires a very special group of actors because it challenges them physically and emotionally,” she said. “The production also demands a bit of technical wizardry. It’s full of projections – with multiple projectors running simultaneously and those images and patterns woven into and overlapping the dazzling-fast lighting cues. It’s kind of a thrill-ride, and we have a wonderful team of designers!”

After twenty years as the artistic director of the Theatre Arts department, this production marks a “stepping away of sorts” from valle’s directing duties at Cuesta College. “I feel the time is right to bring in Guest Artists and leaders who can share their fresh perspectives on our craft,” said valle. “This is, after all, about our students, and their exposure to a multitude of mentors and teachers is healthy and enriching. We have always run a vigorous program at Cuesta College, and I expect that to continue far into the future.”

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time plays at the Harold J. Miossi CPAC Experimental Theater on the following dates and times: 

  • Thursday, Dec. 1 | 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 2 | 7:30 p.m
  • Saturday, Dec. 3 | 7:30 p.m
  • Sunday, Dec. 4 | 2:00 p.m
  • Thursday, Dec. 8 | 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 9 | 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 10 | 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 11 | 2:00 p.m. 

The show has a run time of 95 minutes with a ten-minute intermission. General admission tickets are $20 plus processing fees and $15 for students. Purchase tickets online at tickets.cuesta.edu or at the box office one hour before the performance. Please check the webpage for age, visual, and emotional trigger warnings.

The Cuesta College Theatre Arts Department is nationally and internationally recognized, beginning in 2014 when the original play pool ’63 received five national awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The Kennedy Center also honored the college’s productions of Refried Elvis (2016) with six awards and Ghost Ship (2019) with ten awards, including Outstanding Theatrical Creation. In Feb. 2021, bree valle received the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion, considered one of the top honors in theatre education. 

To learn more about the Cuesta College Theatre Arts program, please visit the website or call (805) 546-3195. 

*bree valle does not capitalize her first and last name