Photo by Jo McCulty
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Novel by Mark Haddon
Adaptation by Simon Stephens
Creative Team
Director and Co-Choreographer: Kevin McClatchy
Media Designer: Alex Oliszewski
Producer: Mandy Fox
Movement Director and Co-Choreographer: Jeanine Thompson
Scenic and Properties Designer: William Ledbetter
Costume Designer: Julianne Nogar
Lighting Designer: Mary Atantino
Sound Designer: Eve Nordyke
Technical Director: Chris Zinkon
Stage Manager: Dana Petersen
Dramaturg: Anna Guse
Assistant Director: Jason Speicher
Assistant Lighting Designer: Braden Held
Assistant Sound Designer: Curtis Myers
Assistant Media Designer: Kelsey Gallaher
Assistant Stage Manager: Jerrett Crowthers
Dialect Coach: Mandy Fox
Fighting and Asst. Movement Director: Jason Speicher
Ticket Office Manager: Carolyn Jakubczak
Production Manager: Sherée Greco
OSU, Department of TFMA
Roy Bowen Theatre
2019
Background
Based on the novel by Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time follows Christopher Boone, a neurodivergent teenager with a gift for mathematics, as he investigates the mysterious death of a neighbor’s dog. As Christopher’s investigation deepens, the audience is drawn into his inner world shaped by pattern, logic, anxiety, and sensory overload.
Design Overview
I collaborated with Lighting Designer Mary Tarantino to integrate a BlackTrax motion capture system into the show’s media and lighting design. I developed a custom data pipeline connecting BlackTrax to TouchDesigner and then to Isadora via Open Sound Control (OSC), enabling performer-tracking to drive both intelligent lighting fixtures and real-time GLSL shader effects from my media server. As Media Designer, I conceptualized the projections as extensions of Christopher’s internal states and perceptions of order, chaos, and emotional overload. By tying movement to reactive visuals and lighting we were able to keep the visual focus on Christopher even when surrounded by chaotic images and environments. This system allowed the performers freedom to maintain a natural and emotional sense of movement to their choreography as they did not need to hit constraining marks or timings due to the system’s real-time reactive nature.
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![Performance image from The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time. Chris is standing in a group of people staring at him. Red spots are projected all over the envrionment.]()
Christopher’s father tries to talk to him through the static.
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![Performance photo from The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time.]()
While talking to his teacher, Christopher tries to soothe himself by focusing on prime numbers.
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![Performance image from The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time. Chris is standing in a group of people staring at him. Red spots are projected all over the envrionment.]()
Christopher feels like everyone is studying him. He is trying to see order in chaos.
A real-time tracking system allowed the red dots to warp and move with Christopher in real time.
Photo by Jo McCulty
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![Performance photo from The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time.]()
Christopher talks to his mother as he tries to remain calm and imagine floating in space.
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![Performance from The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time.]()
While trying to find his mother, Christopher stands in a projected maze of subway tunnel maps.
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![Performance photo from The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nightime]()
Christopher enters the maze of tunnels and signs.
A real time tracking system allowed a tight spotlight to stay trained on the performer’s face as they quickly moved though the dim lighting, animated projections, and the other performers.
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![Production photo from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time]()
Roger prepares to beat up Christopher.
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![Production photo from The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.]()
Christopher describes how he solved a difficult math problem.
