Autism is Center Stage at Chicago Dramatists
A new play on a Chicago stage features a character with autism. The play, Beautiful Autistic, by local playwright Scott Woldman, tells the story of 24 year-old Jimmy, who has a terrible time making friends. Despite his good looks, casual banter in bars comes screeching to a halt when he begins to rattle off facts about nanotechnology or dark matter, topics about which he is deeply obsessed…due to his autism. Comedy ensues when Eric – a young man whose social graces are just as awkward – takes Jimmy on as his wingman and attempts to tutor him in the art of the pick-up, with dubious results.
The Chicago Tribune says Beautiful Autistic is “by turns hilarious and discomfiting, inverting our expectations for the narrative against us with blunt-force trauma.”
What: Beautiful Autistic
When: Through March 13
Where: Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.
Running time: 2 hours
Tickets: $28-$33 at 312-633-0630 or www.chicagodramatists.org