Center Theatre Group Hosts Community Conversations for 'Curious Incident'

CENTER THEATRE GROUP TO HOST TWO COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS FOR “THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME” NOW AT THE AHMANSON

Community Conversations on August 25 and September 6 Will Discuss Neurodiversity and the Intersection of Art and Math

“The Curious Incident…” Plays Through September 10, 2017

Center Theatre Group will host two Community Conversations inspired by “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” on Friday, August 25 and Wednesday, September 6. Community Conversations are a series of panel discussions that are free and open to the public and feature local thought leaders in dialogue about the context, issues and ideas finding voice on our stages.

The National Theatre production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Simon Stephens is adapted from Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel and directed by Tony winner Marianne Elliott (“War Horse”). Performances will continue at the Ahmanson Theatre through September 10, 2017.

The first “Curious Incident…” Community Conversation will kick off Friday, August 25 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with Neurodiversity: Exploring the Differences in Our Brains. Mark Haddon describes his novel as being “about difference, about being an outsider, about seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way.” In this pre-show conversation, panelists will discuss these factors and will unpack the term neurodiversity, highlighting our differences, strengths and what we contribute to society. This event will take place at The Music Center Annex building, 601 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, in Rehearsal Room C.

The panelists for this event will be Coby Bird, Elaine Hall and Dr. Dan Siegel. Bird is an actor and singer with autism who performs regularly with The Miracle Project, an organization that gives individuals with autism and other disabilities social and communication skills through performance, and has most recently appeared on ABC’s “Speechless.” Hall is the founder of The Miracle Project and has pioneered the use of theatre to connect with individuals with autism. She’s been featured in The New York Times and was recently profiled in the HBO documentary “Autism: The Musical.” Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. He is a bestselling author and has been published extensively on the topic of neuroscience.

The second “Curious Incident…” Community Conversation will be Wednesday, September 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with Translating Math Into Art. In this pre-show conversation, panelists will discuss how artists have been combining math and art for decades. This conversation will allow community members to see how artists are currently translating math into art and will allow them the unique opportunity to experience the beauty of math and art up close. This event will take place at The Music Center Annex building, 601 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, in Rehearsal Room C. Panelists to be announced at a later date.

In “… this highly original, deeply engaging play” (Elysa Gardner, USA Today), 15-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to an earth-shattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” transferred to London’s West End, following a sold-out run at The National’s Cottesloe Theatre in 2012. The production received seven 2013 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play and continues to play to sold-out houses at the Gielgud Theatre in London. A UK and Ireland Tour launched in 2014 and a second tour of the UK and Ireland launched in January of this year. “Curious Incident…,” the longest running play on Broadway in the past 10 years, opened on October 5, 2014, at the Barrymore Theatre, winning five Tony Awards including Best Play, six Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Play, five Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding Production of a Broadway Play and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play. The North American tour is produced by Stuart Thompson, Tim Levy for NT America, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures Inc., Lisa Burger for NT Productions, Bob Boyett, Roger and William Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Roy Furman, Glass Half Full Productions, Ruth Hendel, JFLT TLP Partnership, Jon B. Platt, Scott Rudin, Triple Play Broadway and The Shubert Organization.

Bank of America is the season sponsor for the Ahmanson Theatre and Delta Airlines is the official airline sponsor.

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading nonprofit theatre company, programming seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1600 to 2000-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.

Tickets for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” are available by calling (213) 972-4400, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or by visiting the Center Theatre Group Box Office located at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets range from $25 – $140 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Ahmanson Theatre is located at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, 90012.

For more information about the “Curious Incident…” Community Conversations, please visit CTGLA.org/Community.

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August 18, 2017