Two social outcasts but with a weird twist: Kimberly Akimbo

Didn't know much about and don't know much about David Lindsey-Abaire but last night saw his (2000?) play, "Kimberly Akimbo," at the always good Second Story Theater (Warren, R.I.) - a fine production of a very good, unusual family tragi-comedy, a contemporary take on the Williams-O'Neil tradition of families tearing themselves apart - with the twist that in this case the only sane one in the family is the teenage daughter. The real twist is that the eponymous daughter has progeria, she's 16 but looks about 40 (played by a 40ish actor), though dresses and talks like a somewhat precocious teen (it's not broadly comic like Freaky Friday, but just touching and a little strange). Kimberly of course is a social outcast at school, and also facing her mortality - average life expectancy is 16 - and at the heart of the play is her relation with a geeky classmate who befriends her, another outcast. Lots of plays and movies have this theme, too, but handled very well here, with the odd twist of the obvious gap in age between the two actors. One of the best lines is K says people at school ignore her and her friend says he wishes they'd ignore him. One amazing scene: The two get a ride to school from K's alcoholic, bumblingly protective father. Don't touch her tits!, the father screams, leading to an argument about Dungeons and Dragons, finally, after much shouting, awkward silence and then: Look, we're here! Which brought down the house. Most touching scene: when K has to dress as her friend's grandmother (to pull off a clumsy bank heist), and she steps into the light in an old lady's dress and with a powdered wig and she really does look 70 or so, and everyone in the audience and on stage is startled and moved. Can he still be friends with her? Attracted to her? Or does this ruin everything for them? Very good play, sharp and lively production by Second Story.