Sacramento humorist shares personal story of parenting an autistic child

Sacramento comedian Jack Gallagher's one-man play, “A Different Kind of Cool,” will benefit the Yolo Family Service Agency. Three screenings of a film of his performance are planned in September in Yolo County. Courtesy photo

Learn more

What: “An Evening with Jack Gallagher and A Different Kind of Cool” to benefit the Yolo Family Service Agency

When and where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. in downtown Davis; 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Heidrick Ag History Center, 1962 Hays Lane in Woodland; and 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the West Sacramento City Hall Galleria, 1110 W. Capitol Ave. in West Sacramento

Tickets: $25 each; (530) 662-2211 or www.yfsa.net

First, parents nod in recognition at Sacramento comedian Jack Gallagher’s family vacation memories. Then, tears well up as they are drawn into his story of a parent’s helplessness.

Next comes a surprising spurt of laughter and emotional relief as Gallagher deftly changes the subject back into the familiar territory of a typical family’s everyday conversations.

Varying emotions continue throughout the viewing of Gallagher’s latest one-man play in which he takes the audience through a caring, poignant and thought-provoking experience — parenting an autistic child.

“The play is powerful and emotionally raw; yet very funny at times,” said one parent. “I laughed and I cried — and I think most folks saw something of themselves in the whole deal.”

Bit by bit, the audience learns more about Liam Gallagher. He could read at the age of 4, loves science and wrote and submitted a television script. But he has “issues” at school, can’t seem to hold still and the other kids make fun of him. His dad wants to “fix” him.

Finally, in order to get an aide in the classroom, Liam is tested and the diagnosis comes back “autism.”

Now he has a label.

Notes Yolo Family Service Agency Executive Director Trish Stanionis, “A child who is ‘different’ has a hard time fitting in at school, whether that difference is from the autism spectrum, or something else. And, when the child is impacted negatively their success can be impaired.”

“An Evening with Jack Gallagher and A Different Kind of Cool” is the story of one parent’s journey, and a family’s experience with discovering, coming to terms with and embracing the uniqueness of a special child.

A film presentation of Gallagher’s monologue will be offered at three locations in Yolo County during September as a benefit for the Yolo Family Service Agency. It will be screened at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. in downtown Davis; at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Heidrick Ag History Center, 1962 Hays Lane in Woodland; and at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the West Sacramento City Hall Galleria, 1110 W. Capitol Ave. in West Sacramento.

Gallagher will be at each performance to discuss his play with the audience and share some insights while responding to questions.

Tickets are $25 each and may be reserved by calling (530) 662-2211 or visiting www.yfsa.net.

“Cool” is something that stands out from the crowd and makes the person an individual — unique from everyone else, Stanionis said. Gallagher’s play demonstrates from his own personal experience how important it is to accept differences in people. It brings home the point that our definition of “cool” may be different from other “cools,” she added.

“I am struck by the impact of labels. At YFSA we often work with kids who have been labeled as different. When I first came here, therapists told me how reticent they were to put a diagnosis on charts because it labels kids in the ‘system’ and impacts how they are treated.”

Added Yolo Family Service Agency board chair Charlene Simmons, “When something happens to challenge a child in school or in the family, that child needs access to the kind of the caring support provided by the Yolo Family Service Agency’s counselors and therapists.

“In today’s economic climate, many families are facing multiple crises and access to resources is diminishing. For 53 years, YFSA’s affordable, high-quality counseling has provided children, families, individuals and couples in our communities with the help they need.”

All proceeds from the three screenings will benefit the counseling services provided to the children and families of Yolo County who are experiencing difficulties and need some assistance.

“If we help these kids (and their families), the ability to be the best they can be is reignited, and we have happier kids, stronger families and better communities,” Stanionis said.

Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=74687

Posted by Special to The Enterprise on Aug 24 2011.
Last Login:
Filed under Entertainment, Fundraiser, Local News, Social services, Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry