MamaDrama NY Reports: MOTHERHOOD OUT LOUD

This month, Broadwayworld Jr. and I are proud to be a part of a new initiative that's perfect for the theatre-loving parents who read this column.  It's called MamaDrama NY, and it's here to remind us that even though we love taking our kids to the theatre, the best stuff out there is usually just for adults and most of us would like a little help from fellow theatre-loving parents when deciding what's worth the cost of the sitter!  The shows covered by MamaDrama NY have been especially selected for you, the discerning yet busy parent who craves great theatre but can't afford to waste time or money.  When you visit the MamaDrama NY page here on BroadwayWorld.com, you'll see blog posts from top parent bloggers, letting you know the real deal on great theatre....without the drama.

When producer Susan Rose was preparing to send her only daughter off to college, she looked to fill her empty nest with an exciting new show that would explore a universal theme.  It wasn't long before she teamed up with producer Joan Stein to create a unique and relatable piece celebrating something as universal as life and death: Motherhood.  It's something everyone is touched by.  You may not be a mother, but chances are you probably have one.

Rose and Stein worked with 14 talented playwrights and authors including Beth Henley (Crimes of the Heart) and Marco Pennette (Ugly Betty).  What evolved is an often touching, always hilarious life cycle that begins with labor, takes the audience along on the journey of raising a child up through adulthood and then flips the table by showing us what can happen when our parents grow older and that parent becomes the child.

The cast of three women and one man (because not everyone with two loving parents has a mom and a dad) play an array of mothers from different backgrounds and cultures representing different ages and attitudes.  Everything that came out of the amazing Randy Graff's mouth made me either cry, burst out laughing or experience a profound "Aha" moment. Almost every subject is touched upon: Labor, Sleep Deprivation, Unwelcomed Parenting Advice, Playground Politics, Separation Anxiety (Mom's not the kid's), Teaching Self Acceptance, Adoption, Same Sex Parenting, Talking About Sex, Parenting with PMS, Step-Parenting, Raising a Special Needs Child, Graduation, The Empty Nest, Becoming a Mother-in-law, Being Brave for Your Children, Family Holidays, Caring for an Aging Parent, Choosing Motherhood (and celebrating the fact that we have a choice) and yes, even Doing Kegles. 

Anyone experiencing this collection of nineteen short scenes and monologues will find something to relate to.  Some of it will make some of you want to have a child.  Some of it will make you want to give yours back.  But anyone enjoying these slice of life moments will recognize themselves, their mother, their wife or their friends.  The subject matter is truly universal, which is exactly what the show's creators set out to find.