Wichita Community Theater stages murder mystery

At the age of 15, Leo Larson is already scratching a line off his theatrical bucket list.

While performing in Wichita Scottish Rite Signature Theatre’s “The Lion in Winter” last summer, he and a castmate were discussing dream roles. The dream for Larson, a freshman at Wichita Northwest? The lead role in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”

The actress laughed and informed him that Wichita Community Theatre was staging the drama, which won seven Olivier Awards in London and five Tony Awards in 2015, including best play.

“I had no idea they were doing it here,” Larson said. He plays Christopher, a 15-year-old who excels in mathematics, but has never been alone beyond the end of his lane, distrusts strangers and detests being touched.

“He talks very straightforward,” Larson said. “He doesn’t get social cues or sarcasm or anything.”

Christopher is under suspicion when a neighbor’s dog is found impaled with a garden fork but is determined to find the real killer.

Larson’s character likely has Asperger syndrome, and is on the autism spectrum.

“There’s certain things of his I relate to,” Larson said. “I’m a social person and he’s entirely the opposite on the spectrum, with not much of a social personality. He won’t look people in the eye when he talks to them. It’s difficult, but there are some parts where I totally relate to him.”

An actor since he was 6, whose credits include a Mary Jane Teall Award last year for his role in Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers,” Larson was already on the radar of “Curious” co-directors Molly Tully and Mark Anderson.

“We knew he was out there,” Anderson said. “There was no guarantee he’d show up for auditions, but we did have a good turnout. We had several people come and read who were really, really good. We could have gone in several different directions.

“But we were blessed to have a 15-year-old to play the 15-year-old – and to carry it the way Leo’s been carrying it,” he added.

Tully said she’s been excited about “Curious” since seeing it on Wichita Community Theatre’s season announcement.

“When I saw this on the list, I wanted to be a part of it in any way, shape or form,” she said. “The best way to do that is to make sure I’m in charge of it from the get-go.”

Everyone she knew who saw the show on Broadway raved about it, Tully said.

The rest of the cast includes three actors – Vonda Newby-Schuster, Bryan Welsby and Chelsea Lee – with one role each and six other performers playing a multitude of roles.

But the character of Christopher carries the show, Anderson said, a challenge for any actor, much less one in teens.

“It’s kind of a one-man show with nine people supporting him,” Anderson said. “Except for a couple of brief, brief moments, he’s on stage for the whole thing. We needed to find somebody who could handle that size of a role and that responsibility, and Leo certainly does.”

The script, whose language makes it a “strong PG-13,” directors said, contains lessons that can be learned whether an audience member is a genius or not.

“It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and being brave,” Larson said. “It’s also that the experiences you have when you step out of your comfort zone are amazing.”

Christopher, Anderson said, gives an insight into his condition. “We want people to have perspective of what that kind of life is,” Anderson said. “When you think of what he’s overcome and what he’s been through to inspire others, that you can try to do the same thing.”

‘THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME’

When: Through Feb. 2; performances at 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain

Tickets: $15, $13 for military, seniors and students. Reservations available by calling 316-686-1282