Fans of the annual “Listen to Your Mother” show may be happy to learn that there will be THREE shows instead of two this year.
The spoken word event will return to the Woodland on May 3 and 4, raising new voices who will bravely regale audiences with tales of motherhood—both hilarious and humbling.
After tickets sold out within one day for the afternoon and evening performances of the 2024 show, producers Deborah Goldstein, Sandy Rustin and I decided to change the dates of the 2025 show from Mother’s Day weekend to the weekend before, and we’ve added an extra show on Sunday afternoon to ensure more people can attend what has become a SOMA tradition for many.
Auditions for a new cast will be held at Baker Street Yoga on March 7, 8 and 9, so get writing! You don’t have to be a professional writer—most cast members are not –but you do have to write an impactful story that celebrates motherhood in all its complexities.
Photo by Joy Yagid.
“Listen To Your Mother” was the brainchild of a Wisconsin writer named Ann Imig who aimed to gather people together to hear written pieces read aloud about motherhood– as a way to share how having or being a mother affects who we are. The show took off in 2010—at the dawn of the blogging era– and was later produced in many cities across the country. Sandy and Deborah were both in the New York City shows and I was a reader in the first SOMA show in 2014 and have been hooked ever since.
Each year when the show is over, we receive texts and see social posts saying how much the stories of both joy and pain resonated, many often thanking us for making them feel less alone. Deborah, Sandy and I are all busy with our real jobs and kids (we have 7 boys between us!) but it’s that community spirit of sharing that keeps us coming back.
If you have a compelling, well-written story to tell, please come audition! Check out our website for details. [Or use the link for auditions here: https://www.northjerseyltym.org/auditions.]
And mark your calendars! The “Listen to Your Mother” show will fill up the Woodland again on May 3 and 4 and tickets will go on sale in April.
