This Friday, theater-lovers and Anglophiles have an exciting opportunity to sample a slice of life set in the United Kingdom. Simon Hayward directs an all-star Mountain Community Theater cast in a production of the play adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens based on the novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon. This heartwarming coming-of-age story about an autistic boy named Christopher stars Wyatt Troxell, who is steeped in Mountain Community Theater history. Hayward says “he was introduced to MCT in utero as his grandfather was one of the people who started this theater group.”

The play is set initially in an English town called Swindon, and then it moves up to London and back to Swindon. Hayward made the decision not to have his cast attempt a British accent, however, because he felt that it would detract from their acting. Instead, he needed them to focus on the choreography of their actions, as much of the cast will remain on stage for most of the show. This technical challenge became a shaping force as Hayward began to see their stage directions as a kind of dance. Instead of a traditional play with scene changes, the cast continually transform the stage in a choreographed set of motions more like a ballet.

To create the British feel of the play, Hayward decided to try something bold and different. Using a sophisticated system of projectors and screens, the stage becomes a play of images and actions. From the English countryside to the London Tube, the stage transforms through a series of images Hayward curated from the internet and even some created with artificial intelligence. This highly technical aspect of the projection gives it a modern and hybrid look and feel. Moving through a series of 500 images, this production uses a high-tech solution to the creative challenge of the script. Hayward started finding the images first, four or five months ago, to flesh out the world the actors would move through.

Hayward searched for three types of images to use in this design. First, he needed photographs to create the setting. From Hampstead Heath to the London Underground, he curated a series of images that he projects using very large projectors positioned behind the screens. These atmospheric images provide the context of the changing scenes. Next, there are portions of the play where Christopher is bombarded by advertising images.

This futuristic set design promises to create a different artistic effect than other productions at Mountain Community Theater. Hayward was adamant, however, that although the technical aspects of the play are considerable, it is all in the service of a moving story that will be portrayed by a cast of talented actors. If you want to experience this experimental theatrical portrayal of a boy investigating the world, set to run through June 8, you can purchase tickets at mctshows.org/buy-tickets.