This November, the Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre was host to Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities’ fall play.

In early November, under the direction of Rob Campbell, the production “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” presented a total of four performances. The play was adapted by playwright Simon Stephens from a novel by the same name authored by Mark Haddon. The Tony-award winning production follows lead character Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old with autism, after he becomes focused on solving the murder of his neighbor’s dog- a mystery that takes him on an incredible journey.

Due to the nature of the show, before their opening night on Wednesday, November 3rd, the School of Humanities offered a pre-show discussion about autism. Before their final performance on Saturday, November 6th, the school offered a sensory-friendly performance featuring alternative lighting and soundscape.

Seun Sule, the actor behind Christopher Boone, described his role as an “exhilarating experience straight from the audition period all the way to the last moment of the final show.” “I had only started acting in the fall of 2020,” he explained, “and had never done an in-person audition or show till now. The role was challenging but fun and helped me to grow as an actor.”

Audio tech Alaina Hoover added, “Coming from high school theatre tech, I was lucky to have a background as a sound technician but that didn’t stop my knowledge of theatre from growing so much by being part of this production.” Aside from her tech work, Alaina enjoyed the theatre process as a whole. “Seeing the growth of the production from the set we constructed to the actors refining their character is an experience I can never get tired of,” she explained.

The Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities will be returning to the Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre with a musical performance in the spring.