JAMIE: I think I bring an understanding of stillness. MARY ALLISON: As an actor who also has Tourette Syndrome, what unique gifts and experiences do you think you bring to the stage? Like Christopher, I perceive rules in the world around me that I have to follow but that no one else sees, and for me that’s an everyday reality. Obviously, part of acting is feeling things you necessarily wouldn’t understand, but I get an added bonus when Christopher feels uncomfortable with touch because I also feel discomfort and overwhelming anxiety. I have Tourettes, and it causes me to be sensitive to the world around me, particularly to touch and sound. JAMIE: I have a different set of circumstances than Christopher. I think it comes as close as possible to giving the audience this feeling of being overwhelmed right along with Christopher.īETHANY: What unique insights do you believe you bring to the play and the character? There’s so much crammed into this rapid space, and it’s true to the anxiety of the character. JAMIE: The train sequence on Christopher’s trip to London. MARY ALLISON: What are you most looking forward to during the process of the show? The biggest enemy is a perceived inability to do things, rather than the actual inability to do things. JAMIE: I think it’s a really interesting story about overcoming odds that are set by society rather than more tangible issues. We’re pleased to share excerpts of that conversation with Portland audiences as we welcome Jamie back to Christopher’s world.īETHANY: What interests you most about this story? Prior to his debut at KCRep, dramaturgs Mary Allison Joseph and Bethany Sulecki sat down with Jamie to discuss Christopher’s journey and why this play resonates with him personally. Actor Jamie Sanders, who plays Curious Incident’s protagonist Christopher, reprises the role after collaborating with Portland Center Stage Artistic Director Marissa Wolf when she directed the play at Kansas City Repertory Theatre in 2018.