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| Rehearsal photo from Becoming Mothers. |
By Stephanie Adams, Shannon Woolley Allison, Sara Canary,
Triza Cox, Trina Fischer, Ginger Legon, Typh Hainer Merwarth, Dawn Schulz, and
Karole Spangler
Directed by Jennifer Thalman Kepler
Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley
Entire contents are copyright © 2012, Craig Nolan
Highley. All rights reserved.
Looking for Lilith has been providing theater for women’s
interests for the past ten years, and in that time they have provided a lot of
thought-provoking and dramatic presentations with a definite feminine spin.
Their latest is a work-in-progress, a staged reading of their upcoming original
work, Becoming Mothers.
In a style reminiscent of The Laramie Project and other documentary-style theatrical
works, Becoming Mothers is a series
of interlocking vignettes performed by a small group of actresses performing
dozens of different roles. The central theme is motherhood, or more
specifically, the period leading up to and just after a woman becomes a mother
for the first time. The play is stitched together from the experiences of
members of the Looking for Lilith company, many of whom are also featured in
the cast.
The result is somewhat jarring but frequently moving, and with a
surprising amount of humor. It also tends to get a bit graphic with its
descriptions of such lovely subjects as vaginal bleeding and leaking breast
milk. But it never fails to hold your attention and should be especially
meaningful to audience members who have shared the experiences or are about to
embark on parenthood for the first time.
It is impossible to really critique a staged reading, but from what I
saw things look very promising for the finished product, which will debut later
in the season. All of the actresses performed with scripts in hand, but they
hardly looked at them; and each of them showed true emotion throughout the
evening.
The stories range from comical to tear-jerking, but never anything truly
heartbreaking. Again, it’s hard to critique, but it did seem to lose focus and
drag a bit during the second act. But that’s probably something that would be
fixed in the full production.
Over all, this was a poignant and moving salute to motherhood that
should not be missed. Better yet, if possible, see it with your mother; this
would be the perfect mom/child date night!
Featuring Stephanie Adams, Shannon Woolley Allison, Sara
Canary, Triza Cox, Jennifer Thalman Kepler, Dawn Schulz, and Karole Spangler.
Becoming Mothers is being performed in repertory with 10 Years / 7 Stories.
10 Years / 7 Stories: May 31, June 2, 7, 9 at 7:30 p.m., June 10 at 2 p.m.
Tickets $15, $10 students/seniors
Becoming Mothers: June 1, 8, 10 at 7:30 p.m., June 3 at 2 p.m.
Tickets $10, $7 students/seniors
2-Show Pass: $23, $15 students/seniors
Tickets $15, $10 students/seniors
Becoming Mothers: June 1, 8, 10 at 7:30 p.m., June 3 at 2 p.m.
Tickets $10, $7 students/seniors
2-Show Pass: $23, $15 students/seniors
Birthday
Party!!!
Come
June 10 to see both shows and celebrate
our 10 years with a reception at 4:30 p.m.
$30 (both shows & reception)
$25 (10 Years: 7 Stories & reception)
$20 (reception & Becoming Mothers)
$15 (reception only)
$30 (both shows & reception)
$25 (10 Years: 7 Stories & reception)
$20 (reception & Becoming Mothers)
$15 (reception only)
For reservations, call
502-638-2559.
Looking
for Lilith
At The
Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown
Road
Louisville,
KY 40205
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