On the eve of April as National Autism Awareness Month, the Towle Community Theater in downtown Hammond is hosting Lynette Louise and her production of "Thing to Thing to Thing - From Crazy to Sane With Autism, Biofeedback and The Brain."
Lynette, a seasoned actress and mother of eight children, four of whom were diagnosed within the autism spectrum, is traveling from California to present her one-woman performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Towle managing director Jeff Casey describes the production as a colorful composite of triumphant and heartbreaking stories told monologue style, interspersed with music and brain science.
"She talks about her experience with brutal honesty and a lot of humor," Casey explained. "Special needs parents and their extended families need to laugh, too. She shares what she's learned about healing her children as well as herself."
In addition to her firsthand experience with autism and its related disorders, Lynette is certified as a neurofeedback practitioner and is a child facilitator for the Autism Treatment Center of America, based in Massachusetts but with worldwide outreach.
"Thing to Thing to Thing" was first performed last spring at The Complex theater in Hollywood. Since then Lynette has taken the show on the road to cities and towns across the country.
While autism and comedy might seem an unlikely pairing, Lynette's perspective comes from a multi-hyphenated identity as a comedian and television actress in Canada and - by her own admission - appearing in "B" movies. She also describes herself as an academic, a healer and loving mother of an intense demanding brood of eight (now young adult children) six of whom are adopted. Seven of them now live independently.
Working to heal her children, Lynette states that she was open to trying everything with some things working better than others, since each child was different. Sometimes it was graduating from a closed fist hug from her child to an open hands embrace that sustained her along the way.
Tickets for the production cost $20. Adults with disabilities and parents of autistic children who bring a photograph of their child will be admitted free, but reservations are required.
Throughout April, artwork from Valparaiso's Opportunity Enterprises, serving those with mental and physical challenges, will be displayed at Towle Theater, 5202 Hohman Ave. For tickets or information, call (219) 937-8780.
- The opinions are solely those of the writer. Contact her at janetcopywrite@sbcglobal.net.
