Who's Your Mother?

 I would like to acknowledge the role of mothers. I have not yet chosen to be a mother myself, and yet as an artist the past several years I have found some young mom roles coming my way. I found slowly but surely these roles not fully engaging me, as I thought they might. I had to sit with it and think about why. Why am I not interested in playing some of these roles, a mother is one of the greatest positions that one could take in this life. I looked at what I was being asked to do in these roles. I would like to share with you four major things that I have learned about being a mother from auditioning for or being cast in mom roles.

1. Cry it is the most reasonable response to any situation
2. Scream your child is about to die
3. Defer all language to the nearest man be it your husband a police or stranger and listen

4. You no longer have a name you are simply called Mom  

Photo by John Ulman

I have found in being cast in some of these roles that they are some of the harder roles I've had to play. Both with emotional conviction, without being able to flex a tremendous amount of words, and primarily being an appendage to the characters lives around you. I have yet encountered a mom role that had her own separate vision mission dreams.

I have found many of these depictions of mothers very painful  and not  fully honest. Maybe growing up I did not know my mother's full name had weight in the world, but when I googled her years later  I saw that she was a world advocate and the number one in her field globally. Her name had weight. I see my close friends going through very challenging times with children and never once have I seen them scream or defer their words to the nearest man. They don't have time, everyone else is loosing it and they are the grounding in chaos. I have seen mother's cry but generally it is after they have put their child in bed and they have a moment to release. When I see mothers working with men they fight to get their word in because they know what needs to be done with the child, for the family, and they have to be heard - they are the largest advocate. And while most moms are wonderful active listeners they have words of wisdom waiting for you when you are done spilling your guts.

So while I am in awe of mothers,  I find myself shying away from some mother roles in media these days. Let this be a call to us to show the reality of mother's strength both in front of the camera and behind . I also find when I have roles come my way that are smart, sexy, strong, and savvy characters they are almost always noncommittal and not mothers. Can we be all? Can we be smart, sexy, have a voice and be a mother? I know we can because I see it all the time with all the incredible mothers around me, I see it everyday in you mothers out there.

This message is a toast to all you mothers because I know how strong you are and how much you do. How often those little things you do are not acknowledged and also it is a plea that you are represented in reality in life, in our careers and professions, in media and artistry. And just for s**** and giggles I put a few audition tapes together of some mom rolls booked, call backed, not etc. and you will see the hilarity of these auditions... Thank you Mother's near far and wide for everything you do. I do hope to represent you more fully one day as society grows.

Mama Role Audition Sample

PS. If you want to see some great real mama stories please check out www.themamasagas.com it's the real deal representation of mothers everywhere. Thanks to my friend Saralyn Ward. Rock on Mama!