The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

A play by Simon Stephens
Based on the novel by Mark Haddon

November 25 & 26 at 10:00am
November 27 to November 30 at 7:00pm
December 1 at 2:00pm

“All actors remain on stage unless prescribed otherwise. There is also a dead dog. With a garden fork in it. Scenes run into one another without interruption, regardless of alterations in space or time or chronology.”

So begin the stage directions for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the story of the epic journey of Christopher, fifteen years old. While Christopher has an extraordinary brain – exceptional at math and science, he is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion of killing his neighbor’s dog, he investigates to find the culprit. He records each fact he discovers in a book he is writing to solve the mystery. He encounters resistance from his neighbors and strangers, but also finds help in unexpected places. To succeed he must navigate an unfamiliar world and overcome his own personal challenges. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that upturns his world.

Awarded both the Tony and the Olivier awards for Best Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time powerfully examines what it truly means to love, and the sacrifices it often takes to do so.

The Sadness of Comedy

Original Playwright: Koki Mitani
First Adaptation by: Ang Xu
Second Adaptation by: Yufeng Ai
Translation: ChatGPT4.o
Director: Yufeng Ai, Jule Ann Hardy

January 28 to February 1 at 7:00pm
February 2 at 2:00pm

The story is set in China during World War II, amidst fierce frontline battles between the Nationalist forces and the Japanese army. To boost public morale and inspire victory, the Nationalist government mandates that all cultural activities must promote patriotism and heroism as their core themes.

Against this backdrop, a playwright from a small theater troupe takes his romantic comedy script for review by the cultural censorship department, where he encounters a censor who has just been reassigned from the battlefield. This strict and harsh censor despises theater, especially comedies, and thus subjects the playwright to severe scrutiny over his subpar script. Bearing the dreams of his troupe and the pressure of their collective survival, the playwright repeatedly strives to accommodate the censor’s rigorous demands for script alterations. As the censor continues to make unreasonable demands and the playwright diligently revises the script, it unexpectedly becomes more engaging. Throughout this process, both individuals undergo a transformation in their attitudes. While everything seems to be moving in a positive direction, after seven days, they are forced to confront the profound sadness brought by their era.

Eurydice

Written by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Holly Schaller

February 25 to March 1 at 7:00pm
March 2 at 2:00pm

Eurydice reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice not through Orpheus’s infamous pilgrimage to retrieve his bridge, but through the eyes of its heroine.  Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love.  With contemporary characters, plot twists, and a script written to be a playground for designers, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

One Act Play Festival

March 13 – 16, 2025 – 7:00pm

The One-Act Festival provides new and experienced writers, directors and actors with an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Youth Festival

April 3 – 6, 2025 – 7:00pm

During the Youth Theatre Festival, young theatre practitioners from local drama school and other community youth drama groups take to the stage and perform in a week of scripted and original productions.

Bello

Written by Vern Thiessen
Directed by Todd Hiscock

April 22 to 25 – 10:00am
April 26 – 7:00pm
April 27 – 2:00pm

Little Bern, a young farm boy, is taken in by his aunt and uncle after his parents pass away. Feeling ignored by his busy adoptive parents and their large brood of children, and struggling to keep up with a pile of chores and a new school, Little Bern pines for the life he used to have.

One day, on his way to school, he sees a mysterious ramshackle house, and is told it is the home of Old Nettie, who everyone in the town fears and calls a witch. But when a huge snowstorm hits, and Little Bern is lost, he is saved by none other than Old Nettie. Terrified at first, Bern must face his fears and confront the person he is most afraid of. And much to his surprise, discovers she is not at all the person he thought her to be! And as it turns out… much more like him than he ever imagined.

Based on stories from the Mennonite Ukraine of the 1920’s, Bello is set in a fable-like world, performed with rhythm and rhyme where hard times and struggle are part of daily life, but where the healing powers of humour, love and family ultimately flourish. A beautiful, poetic and charming parable of overcoming our fears of others who are not like us.