←Recommendations of Is This All This Is

What a question! It's the kind of question you ask when you've stepped in something wonderful... but only a little of it. Is also the question you ask every time love ends... or takes a pause.

In this play, it's both.

Osmundsen captures the complexities of mixed neurodiverse relationships, familial and romantic, through well-drawn characters who represent different points of view yet are never mere stand-ins for those perspectives. These are fully fledged human beings each of whom we can empathize with regardless of how our brains and hearts work.

The ending in particular is sublime.

What I love so much about this play is how each character is so complex, with strengths and flaws, so fully realized and human. Even Barb, who could easily have fallen into a conservative stereotype, had depth and nuance to her. This play touches on so many, many things, but it all boils down to each character searching for the unconditional acceptance we all crave. Lovely work.

A tender family drama, nestled within the social and cultural mores of the present moment. The intriguing story is populated with beautifully imperfect people, bumping up against each other's needs, longings and differences. Osmundsen thoughtfully presents two very distinct autistic characters, each trying to find themselves and their place in a world that wants to define them. Illustrating the limitation and promise of familial love, IS THIS ALL THIS IS delivers both heartbreak and hope. I find myself wanting to know where each of these folks will be in ten years' time.

A nuanced, loving look at the realities of being young, autistic, and nonbinary in America—for all of its joys and sorrows. Osmundsen's characters are realistic and so easy to love, complex and rich, and earnestly reaching for each other in all of their faults. I loved seeing these portrayals of autistic & nonbinary characters and Osmundsen's delightful dialogue and humor. A lovely play!

An absorbing, moving and often funny exploration of the need to be respected for who we are. Claiming identity, whether non-binary or autistic or both or neither, is a critical step to self-acceptance, but having those identities respected in the world can be an exhausting struggle. Is This All This Is presents four complex and compelling characters stumbling toward connection. It is deeply heartening to see the ways that connections are ultimately made and respect is finally offered.

A tender and sensitive play about a family learning to love and accept each other. Osmundsen probes the tender spots of familial trauma with humor and insight, guiding his beautifully rendered characters through the murky waters of conflict and entanglement to a place of grace and understanding. It made me feel briefly hopeful.

Is This All This Is is a moving, insightful and humorous play that engages with neurodivergent and non-binary experience in a meaningful way. There’s something for everyone in Osmundsen’s dramedy, but I appreciated how this play spoke compassionately to the struggles of autistic people of multiple generations.

You will find yourself invested in these characters in their relationships, and each one — yes, even Barb — has a rich humanity that will tug at your heartstrings. An excellent work for the modern era.

My favorite kinds of plays involve multilayered characters driving the story in surprising ways. And in IS THIS ALL THIS IS, Dave Osmundsen absolutely delivers in crafting a poignant and intimate story about relationships and identity. Especially notable are the dynamic characters who are wholly original and authentically imperfect throughout. This play also shines in its exploration of gender identity and autism with emotional truth and beautiful complexity, revealing how no identity presents in a singular way. The characters will stay with me long after the final scene.

with a charming story of love between an autistic man and a neurotypical "cool" aunt, osmundsen has crafted a complex narrative that charts the journey for an autistic teen to find their voice. at its center, this play asks the haunting question that we never seem to grow out of - is this really all life has to offer? very compelling read, highly recommend!

Dave Osmundsen has written a funny and tender family drama for our time. It has all the trappings of the best of the classic American family play—intergenerational battles, sibling rivalry, economic strife, old grudges and conflicting visions of the future—and populated it with characters who reflect our political and cultural present.

The autistic characters in this play are standouts. Their longings for recognition, compassion, autonomy and support manifest in vastly different ways; they’re unique and fully rounded people, not symbols or mouthpieces. Grounding ITATI is Osmundsen’s compassion for each of his wounded, imperfect characters.