This year’s All-School Play, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” stars an autistic character named Christopher, and the Theater Department is working to educate the cast on neurodiversity to ensure that their depiction is respectful. 

As this is the first Marlborough show to feature a neurodivergent lead character, Performing Arts Instructor and Director of the All-School Play Kristi Schultz said she thinks it will be a very unique opportunity for the school community. 

“We feel this show is a positive story for our community that will uplift neurodiversity and allow the Marlborough community to think more deeply about different ways of learning and perceiving,” Schultz said. 

The Theater Department has prioritized informing the cast about neurodiversity. Schultz said that education is “at the heart” of the production.

Schultz and Performing Arts Instructor and Producer of the All-School Play Sarah Foster are already working closely with Education Specialist Cindy Dominguez and the Neurodivergent Affinity Club. On the second day of rehearsal, Dominguez gave a presentation to the cast about neurodiversity and offered resources such as Temple Grandin’s TED Talks and the book “Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism” by Barry Prizant.

“The goal is to relate to the human experience while showing that autism shows up differently in every person,” Schultz said.

Another important step is research. Directing Intern Mattie Epstein ’25 will research and work closely with Georgia Morton ’25, who was cast as Christopher. 

“​​I will be speaking to different high school directors as well as researching online and  potentially going into other community centers and learning about what it looks like to uplift [neurodivergency],” Epstein said. 

This combination of research and education has been key for Morton and Epstein. 

“What we are focusing on is understanding the way that Christopher sees the world, and why he reacts to things the way he does,” Morton said. “Having that knowledge of the way he navigates the world is going to be very important when approaching the character.”

With all of these steps being taken, the Performing Arts Department has said they hope the play is a meaningful opportunity to spread awareness about neurodiversity within the Marlborough community. 

“I hope that it makes people feel comfortable talking about neurodiversity,” Schultz said. “I hope it destigmatizes it.”