"Listen To Your Mother": A Great Way to Celebrate Mother's Day

5/7/13 - By Shari Simpson

As New Jersey editor, I am very excited to tell you about something that I'm doing--in New York City. If you're looking for a wonderful and unusual way to spend Mother's Day, consider coming out to the "Listen To Your Mother" reading series at Symphony Space! Showcasing moving, socially relevant and hilarious stories about motherhood from moms, non-moms and even a couple of dudes, "Listen To Your Mother" will be a memory-making end to the day that honors mothers everywhere. (Which means New Jersey, too, as there are five NJ writer/performers in the show!) Read on for all the exciting details about this Mommy Poppins-sponsored show.

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Born of the blogosphere and mothers who publish online, the Listen To Your Mother Reading Series is changing the way America celebrates Mother's Day, one story at a time. Started in Madison, Wisconsin in 2010 by humorist and blogger Ann Imig, it has evolved (quickly!) into an exciting national storytelling series and every show’s process, from auditions to rehearsals to the final performances, are shared online via social media. Last year the series took place in 10 U.S. cities and has expanded to 24 this year.

As assistant director and performer in this year's "Listen To Your Mother", I can tell you what a thrill it has been to hear the stories of these incredible New York and New Jersey mothers. Sandy Rustin, playwright of the off-Broadway hit "Rated P for Parenthood" and a Maplewood resident is hilarious; Sasha Schreiner, Hohokus resident and owner of Blue Rill Day Camp, is incredibly profound and moving; and the formidable talents of Tracy Beckerman, author of "Lost In Suburbia: a Momoir", Kim Forde, contributor to the popular anthology "I Just Want to Pee Alone", and yours truly, editor of NJ Mommy Poppins and humor writer at "Earth Mother just means I'm dusty" round out the New Jersey portion of the cast, joined by some remarkable NY performers like Stacy Morrison, EIC of BlogHer, Inc. and stand-up comedian (and dude!) Jaime Fernandez, to name a few.

The Listen To Your Mother Reading Series NYC Show will take place on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12 at 5pm at Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th Street). Tickets are $25 (advance), $30 (at the door) and can be purchased in advance online. While the show is about motherhood, the content is adult and is probably not suitable for kids.

Please consider coming out to this incredible show to celebrate motherhood with some awesome and awesomely talented NJ and NY moms, non-moms and men who have moms!