Listen to Your Mother! We’ve probably all heard that expression once or twice, at least. This is the name of an amazing 39-city production that includes a cast of real women who share their real {personal} life stories with an audience.
The Charleston show was produced by Angie Mizell, a writer, blogger and mom of three who lives in Charleston. The event was held on Sunday, May 3rd. I purchased the tickets a couple of months earlier because I thought it would be an interesting way to kick-off the month of May, which for me includes Mother’s Day and my birthday at the end of the month. I took my friend Barbara with me who is also a mom of teen daughters.
Listen to Your Mother was started in 2010 in one city: Madison, Wisconsin. Now, in it’s fifth year, the show is in 39 cities. Ann Imig, the founder and national director, had an amazing idea to produce a show where real-life women share their stories with an audience made up primarily of women.
Listening to the stories of the women was a roller coaster ride of emotions. One woman shared about her teen pregnancy through a series of letters she wrote to her son, starting with “Dear Baby in my belly,” then “Dear little boy going off to kindergarten.” My favorite part of her story started with “Dear teenage son, will you please turn down that music.” I was so absorbed in her journey. She ended with a letter to her “Dear son who is going off to college.”. They made it! She is working on her PhD. Truly inspiring!
Another woman shared about losing her mom to suicide and she was so sure her mom left her a note, but in th
e end her mom left her something even more precious. A series of journals she discovered a few years after her mom’s passing that expressed her absolute love and adoration for her daughter.
There was a mother-daughter duo who bantered back and forth with a comical account of their relationship. The dialogue started off with the mom admitting that she forgot to pick up her daughter at school when she was in kindergarten. That was mentioned a few more times and every time it was funny!
This production was overwhelmingly beautiful. Serious, heart-wrenching, funny and real. The women who shared their experiences are brave and courageous. Their stories full of hope. I walked out of the Charleston Music Hall knowing that next year I will bring my daughters to the production and maybe my mother will come to Charleston to be with us too.
Check out the collection of essays available on amazon.com. And if you’re a mom, have a mom, expecting to be a mom or know a mom, have a Happy Mother’s Day! (I think that covers just about everyone!)
Visit www.listentoyourmothershow.com for more information.
Stacey – thank you for writing this! I’m so glad you enjoyed the show and it’s great to hear about the stories that left the biggest impression on you.
You’re welcome, Angie. It was a memorable experience!