"Read all about it!"
Reported in the Register-News, Bordentown, NJ, May 4, 2006
'Project Mom' lifts personal stories to the stage
By: VANESSA S. HOLT, Managing Editor
Play about
motherhood to run at Riverview Studios in Bordentown City
BORDENTOWN CITY – After reading all 25 letters, ranging in length from a few
sentences to eight pages, a theme emerged: sacrifice. The letters, all written
by women (and one man) about their mothers, revealed stories that were sometimes
funny, sometimes tragic but always honest.
The threads of each of these stories, woven together, became much more than just a collection of stories about motherhood. Initially envisioned as material for a book, it became obvious to Connie Wilder-Wokoun and Ken Britschge as they compiled these letters that these stories should be brought to life on the stage.
The gestation of this idea began three years ago, said Ms. Wilder-Wokoun of Hamilton Square, co-writer and director of "Project Mom," a two-act play that will debut on Mother's Day weekend at Riverview Studios in Bordentown City. Set at a fictitious women's magazine in New York City where the editors are reading through submissions in a "mother-daughter" essay contest, the play runs about two hours, with a cast of 18.
The two playwrights, who previously worked together as teachers, sent out a call for the real submissions, all of which are used in part or entirety in the play, several years ago, gathering responses literally from ages 9 to 90. "We tried to keep the core of the essays intact," said Mr. Britschge.
"Sacrifice really was the theme, even in the funny ones," said Ms. Wilder-Wokoun during a rehearsal on Saturday at the studio.
Once the pieces were all gathered, the hardest part was actually finding the right venue for the performance. Riverview Studios, accessible at the end of Farnsworth Avenue, which has a small stage and seating area, made their space available for the performance.
At a rehearsal on Saturday, five of the actresses sat at desks arranged on the stage, their characters reading and discussing the letters.
As one character fumed over someone's idealistic vision of their mother, another described the life of an Italian immigrant tempered by hardship, giving birth at home and working as a seamstress.
As for the women in the play, they said looking through the eyes of these two dozen other women, young and old, has given them an interesting perspective.
Hilary Wilkins of Lawrenceville, "Audrey" in the play, said that as the mother of a 14-year-old herself she is coming to understand the changes that come about in the mother-daughter relationship with time. "She needs me more in many ways, but you're afraid of losing your kid."
Jill Ritchie of Franklin Park, who plays the sarcastic character Barbara, said that while she finds the often-biting lines easy to deliver, there's a lot of emotion behind those words.
"It gives me a little insight into my relationship with my mom ... and the sacrifices she made for me," she said.
"Project Mom" intersperses video segments with the live actors, making it a multimedia presentation, to illustrate some of the most poignant memories described by the contributors.
As for the timing, the creators said it just seemed appropriate to take it to the stage on Mother's Day weekend, as a way for mothers, or – well, anyone who has one – to laugh, commiserate, reminisce or just be grateful, for their own unique experiences in their families.
"Project Mom" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on May 12 and 13, and at 3 p.m. on May 14, at Riverview Studios in Bordentown City. The studio is located near the Bordentown Yacht Club, accessible by a ramp at the end of Farnsworth Avenue facing the Delaware River. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door or at Strangelove's Books, (609) 298-3334.
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