←Recommendations of My (Diagnosed) Self

I have met Dave Osmundsen at a couple theatre conferences and I have to say that I am impressed by this young playwright on the rise. This might be a fine play to start with if you're unfamiliar with his work. It's a short, quick read and discusses issues that I know are important to Dave. Jimmy and Rachel debate autism, LGBTQ and even dating apps. It may seem light and breezy but there is a deeper meaning within.

This is a hard play for me, and that's what makes it so powerful and necessary. As an autistic person diagnosed late in life (almost 56) it's a conversation I've had often, and it hurts my heart to see it so wonderfully represented on the page in a way that is very real, relatable even if you're not autistic, and funny - yeah, it's gonna play funny (haha funny) and I think that's fabulous because that's how playwrights get audiences to learn stuff, through humor and the open-heartedness that laughter brings. Thank you, Dave, for this courageous play!

Osmundsen's charm and knack for writing compelling, flawed friendships leaps off the page in "My (Diagnosed) Self". It's funny, thought-provoking, and a win for characters AND actors on the spectrum.

This short play packs in so many elements and themes in interesting ways. One aspect that stands out for me is the exploration of the nuances of friendship. Sometimes a good friend knows us better than we know ourselves, but sometimes a good friend only thinks they know us better. I found myself captivated as I watched the two characters dance around this fine line.

What a beautiful play about friendship and being there for another person as they share with you how they feel and what they are feeling. Sometimes our friends are the last people we want to tell things to which is odd, but friends are an investment and no one likes to lose that investment over sharing the truth about us.
But it's that truth that enriches that bond we have with anyone that we call friend.

Bright, bouncy, compelling dialogue pulls us immediately into this friendship world that's about to turn a corner. With a central conflict that's relatable, characters that leap off the page and an exploration of powerful, important themes, Osmundsen's accessibility, humor and charm as a writer is a gift, helping audiences to navigate a new understanding.

Osmundsen presents two sides of an argument in this taut ten-minute, and with his usual passionate precision hits both nails squarely on the head. What’s so wonderful about this conversation is that it IS a conversation, filled with conflict and self-righteous declamations, but front and center is the long-standing friendship between the two characters, and their argument doesn’t devolve into DRAMA for the sake of drama. An exquisite piece.

This play exposes how friendships of many years still have room for emotional growth and understanding of differences. Osmundsen writes necessary stories -- about neurological difference -- that have been overlooked for many years on our stages. For that, he's a playwright that commands our attention- connect with him.

Rachel and Timmy have things to share, even though they've known each other for so long that there are things they take for granted. And yet there are those things they know about themselves that may yet surprise each other... and themselves.

Dave Osmundsen has the unique ability to write compelling and reachable characters that come to life the instant we meet them, and in this short piece he accomplishes that as well as teaching us... without preaching or polemics. That is a gift that I am glad he shares with us.

"Know thyself." – Socrates
Oh, Socrates. If only we could afford it.

When it comes to our mental, emotional, and neurological health, help is hard to find and even harder to afford. So when we can't get the help we need, we often have to help ourselves. Self-diagnosis is never the best option, but sometimes it's all we've got!

Osmundsen skillfully presents both sides of this discussion, never sacrificing character for argument. Their discussion is both global and personal. And both of them are right, to a point.

There are lovely nuances throughout and the ending is elegant.