Announcing Listen To Your Mother 2014

Being a co-director/producer of Listen To Your Mother is kinda like being pregnant. The show is my baby, and while it’s developing and growing inside me for many months, I feel a rollercoaster of emotions. I’m tired, overwhelmed, anxious, hormonal, and excited. I’m also restless and wake up in the middle of the night to write my blog because I have so much on my mind, not to mention a to-do list that never ends. At our meetings, I crave Laura’s famous blueberry bars and Naomi’s bruschetta (I suppose that explains the weight gain). On top of that, my feet even swell, but that’s probably from walking across stage in four-inch heels that I didn’t break in first. And, of course, no pregnancy is complete without labor pains. But it’s all worth it.

Because in the end, I give birth to something incredibly beautiful and truly one-of-a-kind. Then after a short period of bed rest , I can’t wait to do it all over again.

Watch this video to find out how Listen To Your Mother was conceived and has grown from one city in 2010 to 32 cities in 2014. (I promise there’s no placenta).

Obviously, it takes a village to make Listen To Your Mother. And with this year’s co-producer/directors (Laura Edwards Ray and Naomi Francis) and a talented cast of writers who are as passionate about this project as I am, we are making a difference in this world by sharing our voice.

As part of a national movement to give motherhood a microphone, St. Louis is proud and ecstatic to be one of 32 cities hosting Listen To Your Mother in 2014. Each city, from Madison to Milwaukee, produces and directs its own live stage performance, featuring local writers and raising hundreds of dollars for a local cause.

This year, St. Louis started a new tradition on Mother’s Day weekend. We presented two powerfully emotional shows, and both times we packed the auditorium at St. Luke’s Hospital. Our stories represented every spectrum of motherhood, from heartbreaking to hilarious, and everyone in the audience was touched in a different way. Next year, we promise to do the same if not more.

We are already busy planning our second annual event. So mark your calendars for Saturday, May 10, the day before Mother’s Day, and don’t miss out! Start writing now. Everyone has a story, and we want to know yours, whether you write about being a mom or having a mom.

We will announce when we start accepting submissions, so please stay tuned. Meanwhile, enjoy our videos posted on Youtube  and our Listen To Your Mother facebook page.

Thank you St. Louis for all your support. See you in 2014!

It’s funny. Suddenly, I have a craving for fried pickles.