Garrison Little Theatre set to bring Motherhood Out Loud to the stage
Being a parent is a lot of things, but easy isn’t one of them.
Caring for a child is comparable to an emotional ride filled with moments of joy, sleep deprivation, worry, frustration and sweetness.
All these emotions, and everything that comes with being a parent, will be conveyed in Garrison Little Theatre’s upcoming production of “Motherhood Out Loud,” which will feature two performances at the Sanctuary Centre for the Arts in downtown Ridgeway on Friday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 17.
The play, conceived by Susan Rose and Joan Stein — and featuring contributions from many female playwrights including Leslie Ayvazian, Brooke Bernan and Jessica Goldberg — will explore parenthood through a series of monologues from 40 different characters played by a 20-person cast.
“It’s not the biggest one of GLT’s productions, but it’s definitely one of the biggest,” said producer Catherine Kitchen.
The 90-minute production takes the audience through the stages of caring for a child from birth, through babyhood and toddlerhood, to school age, the teen years and onto the empty nesting stage and even becoming a grandparent.
Kitchen came across the play while searching for productions that will be featured in the Fort Erie community theatre’s upcoming season.
“It made me laugh and cry. It brought on a broad range of emotions. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of what motherhood is like.”
While shows are traditionally held at the Italo Canadian Club between the fall and winter, Kitchen said she opted for GLT’s first-ever performance at the Sanctuary Centre for the Arts in Ridgeway.
“It’s definitely an experiment and a bit out of the ordinary for us.”
Kitchen said GLT hopes to captivate new audiences with this upcoming production.
Zdenka Cole, who co-directs the play with Ryan Kavanagh, said “Motherhood Out Loud” is very similar to “The Vagina Monologues,” a play written by Eve Ensler.
“There’s some adult language, a lot of funny moments and a lot of touching moments.”
Kavanagh said he hopes people from all walks of life will come to see the production.
“It’s called ‘Motherhood Out Loud,’ but what it’s really about is the dynamics of a family and just how unique they can be.”
“If you’re a mother, if you have a mother, if you want to be a mother, or you have a fear of becoming a mother, then this play is for you,” Zdenka added.
The doors to the show will open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.
The Sanctuary is at 209 Ridge Rd. N. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at the venue, or online at www.garrisonlittletheatre.com.