LUCY

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 LUCY on the listener’s mind for some time to come. B.P. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2009]