My Brother Jake

by Dave Osmundsen

Jake Barnsley is an Autistic theatre artist who has managed to have an “inspiring” career. Ethan, his higher-needs twin brother, has lived in his shadow their whole lives. When Jake's life and livelihood are at a crossroads, past resentments come to the surface, and Ethan makes an impassioned bid for agency.

Jake Barnsley is an Autistic theatre artist who has managed to have an “inspiring” career. Ethan, his higher-needs twin brother, has lived in his shadow their whole lives. When Jake's life and livelihood are at a crossroads, past resentments come to the surface, and Ethan makes an impassioned bid for agency.

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My Brother Jake

Recommended by

  • Ian Donley: My Brother Jake

    This is, by far, the most nuanced depiction of autism I have ever read. Being an autistic artist myself, there is so much meat in this text to digest. From internalized ableism to brotherly dynamics, this play will truly shatter the glass ceiling for us autistic people. The play prioritizes the perspective of a medium-high support needs autistic, which gives the audience the opportunity to reflect on their own pre-conceived notions of what autism is. Beautiful work here!

    This is, by far, the most nuanced depiction of autism I have ever read. Being an autistic artist myself, there is so much meat in this text to digest. From internalized ableism to brotherly dynamics, this play will truly shatter the glass ceiling for us autistic people. The play prioritizes the perspective of a medium-high support needs autistic, which gives the audience the opportunity to reflect on their own pre-conceived notions of what autism is. Beautiful work here!

  • Alexander Perez: My Brother Jake

    A remarkable piece that peels back the nitty-gritty of what it means to be a disabled artist, the weight of representing a multi-faceted community, and the limits of what polite society is willing to stomach before writing them off.

    The brothers are two sides of the same coin but where Ethan's reflection in Jake's shine gives him hope of what could be, the inverse strikes fear into Jake's heart to a degree he's not prepared to reconcile with.

    Gorgeous.

    A remarkable piece that peels back the nitty-gritty of what it means to be a disabled artist, the weight of representing a multi-faceted community, and the limits of what polite society is willing to stomach before writing them off.

    The brothers are two sides of the same coin but where Ethan's reflection in Jake's shine gives him hope of what could be, the inverse strikes fear into Jake's heart to a degree he's not prepared to reconcile with.

    Gorgeous.

  • Kyle Smith: My Brother Jake

    I had the pleasure and honor of performing the role of Jake in a reading of this play, and my God. What a meaty, fascinating, challenging, complex role, and he's only half of the equation. A nuanced, complex, and compassionate portrayal of autism that asks necessary questions of who gets included and who does not in conversations of inclusion in the arts.

    I had the pleasure and honor of performing the role of Jake in a reading of this play, and my God. What a meaty, fascinating, challenging, complex role, and he's only half of the equation. A nuanced, complex, and compassionate portrayal of autism that asks necessary questions of who gets included and who does not in conversations of inclusion in the arts.

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Neurodivergent New Play Series, Year 2024