Approach

Christopher’s sensory world—precise, detail-driven, shaped by his autism—became the lens through which the projections were built. I collaged the kinds of details that would seize his attention: a crooked porch light, a garden gnome, a strip of aged scotch tape, embroidery in a housecoat. In moments of overload, these details fractured into cascading hexagonal pixelation; layered letters from his mother dissolved into illegibility. Two kinetic train-station sequences paired live choreography with responsive projection to mirror his rising panic and distress.
 

The design served as a bridge between the audience and Christopher, heightening their sensory experience so they could feel, in some measure, what it is like for an autistic person to navigate moments of overstimulation: fostering empathy by drawing them deeper into his unique way of experiencing the world.
 

“Through the incorporation of choreography by Suzie Baer and projections by Ethan Hollinger, The Curious Incident… is a unique theatrical experience audiences will remember for many years to come.” — BroadwayWorld
 

System: Rear laser projector for the cyc; front laser projector mapped across four rotating columns and acting cubes, controlled through QLab 5.