Pear Theatre Presents THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

Winner of seven Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards including Best Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is both a mystery story and a fascinating glimpse into being exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. Pear Theatre presents this stunning play, directed by Melinda Marks, beginning preview night on Thursday, March 12 with press and Opening Night on Friday, March 13, followed by a champagne gala. The show runs Thursdays through Sundays through April 5. All performances are held at the Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.thepear.org or calling (650) 254-1148.

Christopher Boone, a mathematically gifted boy of fifteen with an aversion to being touched by strangers, discovers his neighbor's dog lying dead with a garden fork sticking out of it. The neighbor calls the police, whereupon the policeman touches Christopher, who responds by hitting him and getting arrested. Released with a warning to his father's care, and now under suspicion for killing the dog, Christopher sets out to identify the true culprit - leading to an earth-shattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever.

During its premiere run in 2012-13 in London, the play tied the record for winning the most Olivier Awards (seven), including Best New Play (this record was surpassed by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in 2017 with nine wins). The Broadway production won the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, the 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Play, the 2015 Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play, and the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time originated as a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's 1892 short story "The Adventure of Silver Blaze." The book won the Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book, and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Unusually, it was published simultaneously in separate editions for adults and children.

Melinda Marks is a longtime Bay Area actor and director, and the co-founder and casting director of San Jose production company Play on Words. This is her first time directing mainstage at Pear Theatre, after having previously directed the 2018 youth production of Diane Tasca's adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Melinda holds an MA in Theater Arts from San Jose State and an MFA in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin University. She was last seen onstage in Shakespeare in Love (Palo Alto Players) and in Teatro Vision's world premiere of Departera, and was most recently the director of Silicon Valley Shakespeare's Macbeth and Anne of the Thousand Days at Dragon Productions.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time features Henry Alper as Christopher; Mae Linh Fatum as Siobhan; Peter Ray Juarez as Ed; and Melissa Jones as Judy. They will be joined by an ensemble cast consisting of Doll Piccotto, David Boyll, Helena Clarkson, Ronald Feichtmeir, Ellie Schwartz, and Josie Burgin-Lawson. The design and crew team includes Stage Manager Kelly Weber Barraza; Lighting Designer Ben Hemmen; Sound Designer Charlie Hoyt; and Set and Properties Designer Kevin Davies.

Pear Theatre began as the Pear Avenue Theatre in June 2002, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Tasca, by a group of theatre artists who believe that audiences are eager for plays that challenge as well as delight and move them. Pear Theatre produces intimate theatre by passionate artists, whether classic works or musical revues or cutting-edge plays. Now in its eighteenth season, the Pear attracts theatre artists and audience from all over the Bay Area for its award-winning and high-quality productions; and its ongoing commitment to excellence was recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle with the Paine Knickerbocker Award, an annual special award for a Bay Area company contributing to the high quality of theatre in the region.

Pear Theatre moved in 2015 from its original 40-seat warehouse space to a new, state-of-the-art black box theatre close by, with capacity of 75-99 seats depending on the configuration of the production. After two years of growth under Artistic Director Betsy Kruse Craig, Pear Theatre is newly under the leadership of its third Artistic Director, Sinjin Jones.

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