There is a curious case behind Sherlock Holmes’ emotions. Just two years ago, Netflix unearthed its latest incarnation, Enola Holmes, which depicted a warmer, more human side of the legendary detective. Swiftly, Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate filed a lawsuit against the Netflix film for its vulnerable characterization. This newly emotional Sherlock Holmes was a shocking departure from the stoic, methodical, data-driven character who has become a celebrity in the field of crime fiction.
The award-winning 2003 mystery novel by Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a reference to a Holmes story, The Adventure of the Silver Blaze. When Holmes travels by train to investigate the crime of the disappearance of the great race horse Silver Blaze, he discovers the dog may have recognized the killer. As Holmes utters the line, “The curious incident of the dog in the night-time,” he realizes that he has now solved the crime.
At the risk of being controversial, we believe the legendary Sherlock Holmes, much like the Sherlock you will meet in our story tonight, is an emotional time bomb; ready to burst at the slightest noise or human being that he encounters, all while riding along the arduous train ride that is his daily life. That’s fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone; a mathematical genius, who struggles to understand other human beings. Socially isolated from others, Christopher has trouble reading facial expressions and body language, loathes being touched, and can engage in stereotypy by any violation of his strictly ritualized environment. When he's out for a walk one night, he discovers a neighborhood dog who has been killed. Baffled by the dog’s death, he decides to launch an investigation, for it is animals that he finds a connection and understanding with and human beings that he does not.
Christopher has meticulously structured a world around him in which he feels safe, and we wanted to understand that world as much as we could throughout our process. Our fully imagined set by Jason M. Stewart transports us to a cube-shaped world of math equations, science, and rigid organization. Christopher’s special education teacher, Siobhan, serves as a vessel between her student and the audience, encouraging him to develop his story into a play. The ensemble of voices represents his state of mind throughout his journey, and the commuters on the train embody the scary existence that is the real world waiting just outside his front door.
In an effort to tell Christopher’s story truthfully, we welcomed family members of children on the spectrum as our guest speakers, worked with our special education teachers during rehearsals, and met with our school police officers to learn how they train for their job, navigate custody disputes, and work with individuals on the spectrum. The process has been challenging, uplifting, and affirming. We have learned that fear of difference can divide us and isolate us from others and society. But we have also learned that the answer to our social dilemma is in the title of our play! Maybe, it is our curiosity that determines our fate. Without it, what would shape our lives? Perhaps, if we stopped investigating, we would never take new risks, learn about other people, or accept who we are.
Like Christopher, we could not have succeeded without the educators who believed in us. We are grateful to our administration, and our Supervisor of the Arts, Mr. Michael Fackelman, for allowing us to share this difficult dialogue with you. We would also like to thank our tremendous Drama Boosters and our community for continually supporting the arts at Ridge High School.
Finally, this production would not have happened without our talented, dedicated, and resilient students, on stage and off, who have embodied many of Sherlock Holmes’ tactics; remaining observant, staying one step ahead, never giving up, and walking through challenges. We have learned that there is always a battle within ourselves to overcome what scares us.
We have also learned that our emotions can be a superpower. And if we can remain kind, brave, and curious, then, by Mr. Holmes’ standards, and Christopher's, we might just solve the mystery of life.
Tim Lynch
Director of Theatre Arts, Ridge HS
