A Tale of Two Christophers
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Left to right: Austin Alford and Gabe Lohse as Christopher Boone
The role of Christopher Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a challenge feat. The role is demanding both physically, mentally, and emotionally. For this demanding role, two actors were chosen to portray the role of Christopher in Texarkana Repertory Company’s production: Austin Alford and Gabe Lohse. Both actors have their own take on the role of Christopher. I interviewed both actors about the challenges of playing this demanding role.
Austin Alford
The role of Christopher Boone is very challenging role as an actor. What aspects of this role did you find the most challenging?
I think the most difficult thing was finding the subtlety between all the extreme highs and lows that Christopher feels and making that a real thing that the audience can see in-between and say, “See, he’s just like us.”
Christopher Boone faces many challenges in life. His behavior is atypical. What research did you do in preparation for this role?
Our director, Michael Cooper, provided us with the novel the play is based on, which alone was a massive help, but the other outside sources were particularly articles of and relating to autism and the spectrum and also how it is portrayed in different mediums previously, whether it be a movie or a television show.
How would you rank this role for difficult as compared to other roles you have played?
This is without a doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever done on stage, not only physically but mentally and emotionally. All equally rewarding, just very easy to say this has been the hardest work.
Are there any similarities between yourself and Christopher? Why is this story so universal?
I think there are similarities between Christopher and all of us. We all want what Christopher wants. To be loved. To find happiness. To manifest what he knows himself to be on the inside. I think love, I think loss, and I think acceptance are all universal feelings we can relate to, no matter who you are as a person.
What was the rehearsal process like? Was it different than other shows you have been in?
The rehearsal process was expected, very fast paced and very quick moving. We knew what we were working on and what we knew what we had to create. It just became our job every night to create that, and because of that, it was much more collaboration than you get from other shows. That makes it more personal and special to you when you are finally able to present it publicly.
To hop off the fence on the side that puts you in a seat. This play, like Christopher, is much more than it is presented on the surface. It is theatre in its purest and most collaborative form, being presented to you by an insanely talented and committed company of actors who are determined to give you the most raw and true theatrical experience that you can have. That is something I genuinely feel everyone should take the opportunity to see.
The role of Christopher is double cast. Did having another person playing the role impact you at all? Did you work with each to create your characters?
It absolutely impacted me. I can’t speak for Gabe, but I feel having another actor who is not only extraordinarily talented, but willing to keep a dialogue open for insight and to speak on insecurities in a scene, or maybe a better read for a line was the best thing in the world. I felt like I was cheating on a test, but everybody was applauding me. Gabe and I didn’t work with each other specifically to dictate how one should say this line as oppose to another. I think we both had a way we saw and interpreted Christopher, and luckily it was in a way in which we were both distinct and different. Because of that, we were able to find better ways to enhance the choices we each made.
Gabe Lohse
The role of Christopher Boone is very challenging role as an actor. What aspects of this role did you find the most challenging?
It was a struggle to find Christopher. He lives in a box, but as an actor, you have to portray him so that he is not a one-dimensional character. His range of emotion is much more complex than anyone who interacts with him, yet he can’t express it openly because he does not know how. Giving him that subtly in his delivery was difficult for me.
Christopher Boone faces many challenges in life. His behavior is atypical. What research did you do in preparation for this role?
Reading the novel gave really great insight on Christopher as a person. The book is written from a first-person perspective, so the reader is allowed insight on how he internalizes and interprets information given to him. Researching the autistic spectrum was also something that I felt like I had to do to be able to properly give Christopher his quirks.
How would you rank this role for difficult as compared to other roles you have played?
Christopher has been the most challenging thing I have done. After every rehearsal, I was emotionally and physically exhausted. His dialogue was logical and straightforward, which made it all the more difficult to learn because his responses were not something that I would say. He is a hard guy to figure out.
Are there any similarities between yourself and Christopher? Why is this story so universal?
We all have those moments were we just want to curl up in a ball and groan, I think. We all get overwhelmed, confused, panicked and feel like nobody around us can truly understand who we are. We all have our quirks that others find strange, and I think we all long for something impactful in our lives. Sometimes the greatest things about us is our own surprisal to that which we can accomplish. There are no limits to our imagination, and I hope the audience leaves with a refreshed mindset about their own lives.
What was the rehearsal process like? Was it different than other shows you have been in?
It was a discovery. Collaborating on pieces like this with so many talented artists has been such a great opportunity. Usually, everything we need to know is laid out in front of us, but this time the puzzle pieces were shuffled a little bit. The rehearsal process was quick and very fast-paced, but when it began to come together, we realized we were creating this beautiful piece of art together. Moments like that are real, and that’s why I love the process so much.
There are many people who are not familiar with the story. What would you say to someone who is on the fence about coming to see the play?
There is something for everyone in this show. Everyone will leave with something that stuck out to them. Hopefully, they will leave inspired. This is such a great story, and I think that it will be inspirational to any who sees the show.
The role of Christopher is double cast. Did having another person playing the role impact you at all? Did you work with each to create your characters?
Austin has been such a great mentor to me throughout the process. We both were able to discover Christopher together, but we both had different ways of portraying him. We took inspiration from one another, and it made finding Christopher as a character a refreshing approach to acting. We both found things as they came organically onstage and shared them with one another. We never disagreed about the approach, and Michael let us discover Christopher naturally. Austin’s insight on Christopher was very beneficial to me, and I encourage people to see the show twice because of how different we are.
Thanks to both actors for speaking to us. You have 3 more opportunities to see the show this weekend: Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16 at 7:30 pm as well as a matinee on Sunday, February 17 at 2:00 pm. Ticket at be purchased here.