LANSING, Mich.–Sometimes you read a book and it is so perfect in its presentation that you simply can’t imagine it in any other medium. Then, along comes a visionary who knows just how to work the magic to make it come alive on stage in totally unexpected ways.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon was one of those perfect books I read when it first came out in 2003. I changed my perception and understanding of how people on the autism spectrum processed things. It helped me to get inside the head of someone whose way of perceiving and figuring out the world was nearly the exact opposite of the way I processed things. It takes powerful writing and creative structure to achieve a task like that.

But the book was so much of an internal journey that I was surprised when I learned it had been adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens. How could it capture the essence of the book, which wasn’t really about the plot or the characters so much as it was the way Christopher Boone thinks?

The London show is at East Lansing’s Wharton Center this week. And it puts on display just how much of a visionary Stephens is with an incredible re-imagining of this book. He also found some geniuses when it came to set and lighting design and their contributions make this production work.

The show begins with Paule Constable’s lighting effects, jarring, painful lighting. It flashes at the audience, circling and glaring. With the addition of loud screeches, you are left hoping that the whole show won’t be like this while immediately realizing how awful it must be if this is indeed your perception of the world. Throughout the show, Constable forces us to further empathize with Christopher as he uses lighting to throw the audience into the world of a young man with sensory issues.

Bunny Christie’s set looks deceptively simple at first, merely three tall walls with squares—until, that is, the actors start filling it. Then we discover how much those boxes hide—compartments, doors, intricate lights and formatted with a mathematical precision that reflected the mind of the protagonist.

It is the use of these highly theatrical devices, along with fast-moving projections that provide a framework for the story to work. Adam Langdon moves among this highly challenging environment as if he were born to it—as his character, Christopher is. Langdon does a superlative job of presenting Christopher as a young man who is very self-aware and who has a story to tell. There are moments of humor, especially as Christopher answers precisely the questions that are asked of him, and not the real question being asked. However, what is most compelling about this show is the determination Christopher has and his attempts to conquer a world that makes no sense to him. Langdon manages to capture the essence of this challenged teenager while performing an exhausting show that makes great physical and emotional demands on him. Langdon never leaves the stage and is always the center of attention.

Gene Gillette plays Ed, Christopher’s father. Depending on the moment, he could qualify as both saint and sinner and Gillette infuses him with loving devotion and utter frustration and fear. He is sympathetic as Langdon makes it clear that Christopher is no easy person to love or to parent. Gillette has several utterly heart-breaking moments, which he plays with credibility and intensity.

The rest of the ensemble plays multiple roles, acting out a play-within-a-play that is based on the book Christopher is writing about his efforts to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbor’s dog with a garden fork. Maria Elena Ramirez is Siobhan, the para-professional who listens to Christopher and helps him to tell his story and achieve his goals.

There is so much about this play that is just right. It throws aside many of the usual conventions in order to draw the audience into Christopher’s world. There is a magic mix of special effects, acting, keen dialog that explores the way people connect and disconnect in a world that often works against them.

Note: This production will stop at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre in May.