About the Show

Part of FringeNYC: A producer’s life goes off-script after one son is diagnosed with autism, another yearns to be a princess, and her hair catches fire! Doreen's funny, heartfelt story about accepting those you love, even when they’re not what you expected.

Categories: Solo Show, Comedy, Local. From Doreen Oliver. Written by Doreen Oliver. Directed by Janeece Freeman Clark.

FROM THE ARTIST:
EVERYTHING IS FINE UNTIL IT’S NOT is a heartfelt, personal comedy about Doreen, a workaholic film producer whose life goes off-script after her son is diagnosed with autism. As she tries everything the experts advise to help her young son become more “normal,” she seeks strength from her mother and aunts, a funny, irrepressible crew of old-school African-American matriarchs born and raised in Newark, NJ. Under the loving yet scrutinizing eye of her mother – who insists she could be a better housewife by ironing her husband’s clothes and feeding her kids things other than quinoa - Doreen feels like she’s failing her child in the one job that matters most.

EVERYTHING IS FINE UNTIL IT’S NOT explores the relationship between parents and their children, and the ability to accept those you love, even if they’re not what you expected.

Critic Reviews (2)

"A fresh and eye-opening look at what it’s like to raise an autistic child…Oliver has keen insights into the ever-opinionated world around her, and paints a painful yet beautiful picture of the challenges that she and her son face daily...She radiates bravery and compassion, both as a performer and as a mother. I would happily have stayed beyond the one-hour running time to learn more about how she and her inexplicably special Xavier experience the world."
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"Oliver is an energetic and captivating performer who truly puts her heart into her performance, showing skill in both her movement and her delivery. Her vivaciousness is contagious, and one cannot help but root for her and her story of determination....While one might expect a story about motherhood and the challenges of autism to be overly sentimental and preachy, this production is rather an honest, heartfelt tale about family, love, and motherhood that anyone might relate to."
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