Call for Submissions! Here's How You Can Be Part of Listen to Your Mother 2015

Do you have a story about motherhood that you want to share with the world? Start writing today, because submissions are now open for the 3^rd annual St. Louis production of Listen to Your Mother!

Listen to Your Mother, the series of live readings shared on stage and through social media, has been captivating audiences in cities across the country since 2010. What began as a small production in creator Ann Imig’s hometown of Madison, Wisconsin is now a national movement, with each individual show produced, directed and performed by the local community, for the local community.

Co-producers and directors Ellie Grossman, Laura Edwards-Ray and Naomi Francis first brought Listen to Your Mother to St. Louis in 2013, and are gearing up to once again “give motherhood a microphone” this year. The 3^rd annual LTYM St. Louis will be held on Saturday, May 9 at St. Luke’s Institute of Health Education in Chesterfield, with a percentage of ticket sales benefitting the Family Resource Center, one of Missouri’s largest family counseling centers, specializing in the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

You don’t need to be a writer, blogger or speaker – or even a mother – to audition for the show. You just need to have a story about motherhood that you want to share. 

“We want it all – every story, every smile, every tear, every laugh, every tone, every testimony and every struggle,” says Ellie Grossman of the submissions she and her co-producers are hoping to receive. “Women and men of all ages and ethnicities are welcome.” 

“We are looking for all kinds of stories that illustrate the diverse, complex experience of motherhood that makes us laugh and cry and think,” she continues. “The worldwide attention on St. Louis after the Ferguson riots has unveiled the challenges of raising children, among other issues, and our community deserves its moment in the spotlight and an opportunity to share its stories on stage.”

Written submissions should be emailed to ltymstlouis@gmail.com by February 16, and if your story is selected, you will be invited for a live audition on stage. Further details about the audition process are available on the Listen to Your Mother-St. Louis blog, and you can also watch past performances on the Listen to Your Mother You Tube channel for inspiration.

As a former Listen to Your Mother-St. Louis cast member myself (click here to see my reading in last year’s show), I encourage each and every one of you to take advantage of this opportunity, and start writing the story that only you can tell.

Motherhood can be an isolating, exhausting – and, let’s face it, sometimes terrifying – endeavor, but when you choose to share your unique experiences and perspective with the world, you make connections and develop relationships that have the power to enrich your life immeasurably. You also realize that, manufactured Mommy Wars aside, there is far more that unites us as mothers than divides us.  

“As a mom, I spend a lot of time feeling like I’m alone in my battle to do homework, catch up on laundry and go to the bathroom by myself,” says LTYM-St. Louis alum Stephanie Horner. “At Listen to Your Mother, I realized I was not alone. And not just in those ways. Two of my children are adopted, and it felt good to realize I was not alone in being a mom of adopted children. Being in the cast helped me feel a part of something.”

For 2014 St. Louis cast member Kait Kettmann, participating in LTYM was an empowering experience.   

“Listen to Your Mother helped me realize that my story is valid and important,” she says. “It helped me recognize my own voice and the value of sharing that voice with others. The positive experience I had with LTYM has inspired me to continue being open and vulnerable in sharing my story, as well as encouraging other women to share theirs.”

“It’s so easy to believe we have nothing to say because we’re just moms,” she continues, “but every experience matters – and the sharing of those experiences matter too.”

 Still not sure if you’re ready to submit your own personal story for consideration? Let LTYM-St. Louis alum Linda Doty convince you to take the leap.

“You start out thinking you’re there to give your story to the world, and you do,” she says. “But somewhere along the way, you realize you received exponentially more than you gave. Contributing to Listen to Your Mother is a gift you give yourself.”

Written submissions for the 2015 production of Listen to Your Mother-St. Louis should be emailed to ltymstlouis@gmail.com by February 16. To learn more about the local show, and shows across the country, visit www.listentoyourmothershow.com.