God's Middle Name

God's Middle Name is the compelling tale of one mother's journey through the uncharted territory of raising an autistic child. Jennifer is the mother of the child with autism. The play, in a series of episodic scenes, follows Jennifer's family over the course of 10 years: from confusion to a life-altering diagnosis, through stages of denial, anger, depression, bargaining and finally acceptance. Along the way are flights of fancy and a great deal of humour, found both in Jennifer's own approach to the challenge, and in Nic's perception of the world around him. Written with sensitivity and lightness of touch, the play does not flinch from describing the grief involved in parenting an autistic child, yet the dominant emotion is one of joy in Nicholas' accomplishments. God's Middle Name premiered at the On The Waterfront Festival at Eastern Front Theatre in 2006. The play earned Jennifer the 2007 Robert G. Merritt Award for Best New Play, and In Good Company the award for Best Production. The production went on to the prestigious Magnetic North Theatre Festival in Ottawa and then had a very successful provincial and Canadian national tour. The play was also shortlisted for the coveted Lieutenant Governor's Masterworks Award in 2008 and 2009.