B-
The 2018 season of Brits Off Broadway at 59E59 Theaters is off to a strong start with this powerful play about autism. “Devised by” the London theater company Patch of Blue, working with the National Autistic Society, the play tells the story of Katy (an amazing Alexandra Brain), a 15-year-old year on the spectrum, who lives with her sister Hannah (Alexandra Simonet) and her imaginary dog Paul Williams (Lizzie Grace) in a seaside English village. Their mother ran off when Katy was diagnosed and their father died a year ago, so Hannah has had to put her own life on hold to care for Katy. When Ryan (Tom Coliandris), an 18-year-old who has just moved to town from London after a tragedy, meets the sisters, the three draw strength from each other. The stories Katy likes to tell to provide order to her experience are cleverly recreated with such simple props as an electric fan and a pair of desk lamps. Two onstage musicians, Josh Flowers and Julianna Zachariou, enhance the production with music by The Mason Brothers. Alex Howarth, founder of Patch of Blue, directs with assurance. My heart went out to Hannah, because Katy’s erratic behavior with its frequent outbursts of raw emotion was hard to endure for 90 minutes, let alone 24 hours a day. My center aisle seat in the second row turned out to be too close for comfort when the actors sat down on the steps just inches away. Much as I admired the play, I often found it painful to sit through. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.
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