What is wrong with nine-year old Jesse? He cannot sit still, he curses, he raps, and you cannot get him into – our out of – pajamas. His teacher thinks its Attention Deficit Disorder. Dad says, “He’s just a boy!” And Mama’s on a quest for answers. Is Jesse dysfunctional, or just different? Don’t we all have ADD, to some degree? She consults a psychologist, a homeopath, a neuropsychologist, and an environmental physician. She talks to neighbors, whose kids have their own diagnoses. A psychiatrist prescribes Ritalin for Jesse, but surely, a pill cannot solve all of his problems. Throughout, Jesse is an offstage voice, becoming louder and angrier, but he is in danger of fading away. And his parents’ marriage is in peril. Everyone is distracted, even the actors – they are breaking character! A hilarious, provocative, and poignant look at a modern family and an epidemic dilemma: Are we so tuned into our 24/7 info-rich world that we have tuned out what really matters?
Distracted, a Lisa Loomer comedy, will be performed by student thespians at Westerville South High School at 7:00 p.m. on September 5, 6 and 7; and at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 8. Tickets cost $10 and can be reserved at https://www.locallevelevents.com/events/details/8066.
South’s Drama Department has joined forces with the English and Art departments to create a visual display that will express their own students’ thoughts and ideas about mental health and issues teens face. This immersive environment will be a unique theatre experience and the seating, which is limited, will be on stage.
Loomer is an American playwright and screenwriter who has also worked as an actress and stand-up comic.