This 30-35 minute play was written before the full-length Artie. Because of the success and dramatic impact of this short script, the author expanded it into the longer version. The plot is similar, but with some differences; for example, this one-act version has four characters instead of six. However, the theme is the same: Why do so many of us treat handicapped people—and anybody else who is "different"—so cruelly? Why must we recede into our own narrow social world of friends as part of the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood? A Friend Like Artie will tear at your heartstrings—and your conscience. The video will make you cry.

The message of A Friend Like Artie is similar to the theme of Artie: Growing up is painful. Jennifer "Britts" Britain is 13 years old today. She has planned a party for herself and her best friend, Artie. Artie is 17, but he's more like seven. Britts is the brightest thing in his life. She teases him, big-sisters him, teaches him how to have fun. But now Britts is 13. A teen-ager. A young adult. Her peers remind her that it's time to put away childish things. Including Artie. It's time for her to grow up. But what about Artie? He'll never grow up...

A Friend Like Artie is intended for audiences of all ages, and—with its virtually bare stage—it can be performed anywhere.

Other Denson plays: Aladdin McFaddin, Welcome to Carnie

See also: Plays About Prejudice and Injustice, Plays About Social Issues