Once, driving home from a rehearsal, an actor friend of mine kvetched on and on about this little kid who poked, teased and basically drove everyone nuts backstage. 'Maybe he has ADD,' I said. 'Please,' my friend scoffed. 'ADD is such an overused alibi for raising spoiled brats.' I understood that, at the time, he was still sore from getting poked like an elevator button, but I also wondered if he had a point.
The percentage of American children being diagnosed with what is now called ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) has skyrocketed in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 2.5 million children are being medicated for ADHD, although most research epidemiologists put the number closer to 4 million.
Ray Porter (Dad) and Rita Wilson (Mama) play a neurotic and compulsive couple whose nine-year-old boy has been diagnosed with ADHD.
The world premiere of Lisa Loomer's new play, 'Distracted,' offers a timely look into this growing phenomenon. Presented by the Center Theatre Group, 'Distracted' tells the story of Mama, whose rambunctious nine-year-old son, Jesse, has been diagnosed with ADHD. In her quest to discover the causes (over-stimulation? chemically-processed foods? environmental pollutants? bad parenting?) and the cure (dietary restrictions? allergy treatments? homeopathic remedies? behavior-modification programs? drug therapy?) for her son's condition, Mama grapples with what it means to help hyperactive children cope in a world where hyperactivity is the norm.
Rita Wilson draws sympathy in her unnafected portrayal of Mama.
But that's just one layer. More than just a commentary on our ADHD mania, the play also paints a tongue-in-cheek portrait of American society as a whole, and even manages to throw in a number of left-leaning jabs on our current government and its reasons for going to war on Iraq (brilliant, but in my opinion, one jab too many; the audience didn't need to be told the same thing over and over to connect the dots).
With its unique format and ambitious theme, 'Distracted' runs the risk of leaving the audience confused and, well, distracted. And yet, under Leonard Foglia's masterful direction, everything about the play seamlessly ties together to reinforce the play's theme.
The set, bare except for three huge screens on which a barrage of images are projected, replicates a hyperactive child's view of the world and also provides fitting visual backdrops. A scene set in a psychiatrist's office, for example, shows impressionist paintings, while one set in the classroom shows children's books and crayons. And like the script, the set itself has many layers' parts of the center screen and the stage occasionally open up to reveal something underneath.
Also portraying neurotic and compulsive characters are Hudson Thames, Stephanie Berry, Bronson Pinchot, Marita Geraghty, Johanna Day and Emma Hunton.
The actors, all playing neurotic and compulsive characters, deftly switch between realities and step in and out of their roles to address the audience. Rita Wilson evokes sympathy in her unaffected portrayal of Mama. Ray Porter, as Dad, seamlessly alternates between sarcasm and desperation.
Symbolically delivering his lines backstage for most of the play, Hudson Thames is convincing in his role as Jesse. But it was the multi-tasking duo Stephanie Berry (Mrs. Holly, Dr. Waller, Nurse, Carolyn, Waitress) and Bronson Pinchot (Dr. Broder, Dr. Jinks, Dr. Karnes and Dr. Zavala) who connected the most with the audience and drew the most laughs.
Lisa Loomer's play goes beyond ADHD to paint a tongue-in-cheek portrait of American society and values.
My diagnosis? ADHD or not, American or otherwise, with kids or without, 'Distracted' is definitely a play that is worth taking a break from one's hectic schedule to watch.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the performance, which runs through April 29, 2007, at the Mark Taper Forum, visit the Center Theatre Group's Web site at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.
For more information on ADHD, check out CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) at www.chadd.org or the National Institute of Mental Health's information on ADHD at www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/adhdmenu.cfm.
