Distracted at Carpenter Square Theatre

a comedy by Lisa Loomer. What's wrong with nine-year-old Jesse? He can't sit still, he curses, he raps, and you can't get him into—or out of—pajamas. His teacher thinks it's 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 can't 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're 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've tuned out what really matters?

Authors

• Lisa Loomer