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Lucy  By  cover art

Lucy

By: Damien Atkins
Narrated by: Lucy DeVito, Roxanne Hart, Geoffrey Lower, Sarah Rafferty, Raphael Sbarge
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Editorial reviews

Autism, adolescence, and anthropology blend into a complex and heady mix in this masterful L.A. Theatre Works presentation of Damien Atkins's one-act play. When a divorced academic is suddenly given guardianship of Lucy, her estranged, autistic 13-year-old daughter, after an absence of 10 years, she's forced to see the world in an entirely different light. The superb cast, crisp dialogue, and inspired musical interludes immediately draw the listener into the center of the mother's desperate attempts to emotionally reach her autistic daughter. The play poses questions about human evolution and what part science plays in our society, but it's the surprising and riveting conclusion that will keep this audio on the listener's mind for some time to come.

Publisher's summary

In a thought-provoking new play, 13 year old Lucy, who suffers from autism, moves in with her estranged, misanthropic mother. Having lived her entire life with her father, Lucy, as well as her mom, struggle with all the difficulties of such an arrangement.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Lucy DeVito, Roxanne Hart, Geoffrey Lower, Sarah Rafferty and Raphael Sbarge.

Lucy is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world.

©2009 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2009 L.A. Theatre Works

Critic reviews

“A complicated and thoughtful piece.” (NYtheatre.com)

"The superb cast, crisp dialogue, and inspired musical interludes immediately draw the listener into the center of the mother's desperate attempts to emotionally reach her autistic daughter. The play poses questions about human evolution and what part science plays in our society, but it's the surprising and riveting conclusion that will keep Lucy on the listener's mind for some time to come." (AudioFile)

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Why can't we write a real play about Autism?

The topic is fascinating as so many stories about autism are, but once again the playwright by trying to present a person with autism as if they are completely like us, just misunderstood. I have spent my life working in the theatre, and working with children with autism. It is my life's work combining the two. The scenework is beautiful, bur then the playwright ruins it with these ridiculous monologues that the girl gives to the audience which normalize her autism. This is just as offensive as having an African American person deliver monologues in the style of "white people". That is literally the exact same thing the playwright does. If you want to read a truly great play about a person with autism, read Falling by Deanna Jent.

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Boring, cliché, disservice to autism. Mediocre.

This is a completely mediocre play. Everything about it is a cliché. The treatment of the topic(s) is very amateurish. A disservice to autism and science. Acting is decent. Not bad not great. However the portrait of the autistic child is painful to listen though, because it is so poorly written. Not recommended. So many better plays, and better works dealing with autism.

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