Eat your vegetables. Put on a coat. Tie your shoes. If you don’t clean up this hell-hole-hurricane-disaster-zone-stinking-landfill-of-a-room, I will clean it for you…and give all your earthly possessions to homeless Brazilian Pygmies who don’t have bedazzled password journals.
I think we can all agree, though sometimes begrudgingly, that it is usually best to listen to your mother. In fact, listening to your mother has become such a universally good idea that 39 cities have decided to devote an entire show aimed at giving motherhood a microphone. One of those cities happens to be my hometown, St. Louis. And I am honored to say that I have been chosen as one of the mothers you should apparently listen to.
Yes, I am officially a cast member of the Listen To Your Mother St. Louis 2015 Show, which will happen on May 9th!
Listen to Your Mother (LTYM) is a live-reading series started by Ann Imig. Every year, women (and men) submit their stories celebrating the humor, happiness, and heartache of motherhood to their local LTYM shows, and each city chooses a cast who performs their pieces in front of a live audience sometime around Mother’s Day. While shining a spotlight on the complexities and beauty of motherhood, LTYM also works to support their communities, donating at least 10% of ticket sales to local charities. This year, the St. Louis LTYM crew has chosen to support the Family Resource Center of Missouri, an organization that works to end child abuse and help those who have been victimized.
So yeah, all that in itself is pretty awesome. But then I went to my first rehearsal for the St. Louis show. And, guys…I can’t even. I just can’t.
For the first time, I had the privilege of hearing the stories of the other twelve cast members. We laughed. We cried. We shared a lot of Kleenex. Scratch that…we shared a giant BOX of Kleenex…not the actual Kleenexes…because they are awesome people and all, but I like to keep my boogers to myself and prefer everyone else do the same.
I sat there and listened to stories that echoed my experience, that were nothing like my experience, that may be my experience one day…or not. But I saw myself in each and every one of those people on stage.
Because when you really and truly celebrate motherhood, you celebrate the human condition in its most relatable form.
And those twelve other people, well, they are my kind of humans.
So if I thought I was honored to be a part of LTYM St. Louis 2015 before, I was kidding myself. Because now I fully know what I get to be a part of.
You should be a part of it, too. If you live in the St. Louis area, you can get your tickets for the May 9th performance at St. Luke’s Hospital HERE (and remember, you’re helping the Family Resource Center of Missouri with your purchase!). There are two, count ’em, TWO showtimes: 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. If you live in any of the other 38 states with an LTYM production, I encourage you to check it out (find a list of cities HERE). It will make anyone who is a mom feel good about being one, and everyone else love the moms in their lives even more.
And it may even inspire us all to clean up our rooms without being asked. In that case, tough break for the homeless Brazilian Pygmies.
Want to learn more about the LTYM St. Louis cast? Visit the LTYM Bio page for a nice little introduction to everyone. And leading up to the show, producers Ellie Grossman, Laura Roodman Edwards Ray and Naomi Francis (all extremely talented, by the way) will be posting Cast Spotlights. Guess who they started with? Little old me (which means they can only get better from here on out). You can check it out HERE!
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Are You Finished Yet? 
That should be great. Can’t wait to hear it!
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Thanks! Will you be attending the show?
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Unfortunately no, I’m in Tampa and there aren’t any shows in the area. I’m sure it will be great!
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Bummer! All the productions will be taped and available on YouTube this summer. Check them out!
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Will do. Thanks and good luck!
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Great! Im gonna Start cleaning my room now.. who knows what I’ll find.. but let me get busy..and hurry to tell us more..Im an impatient person..LOL
shophomedecorandmore
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Feel free to come clean mine when you’re finished!
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Congratulations! I am in the Austin show this year and I’m so excited. We just did our read through week before last and my experience was just the same as yours. We used to live near STL on the other side of the river. I still miss it. Break a leg!!!!
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That is so awesome! I think it is incredible that these shows are happening all over the country at about the same time. Congrats to you and good luck!
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Well said Kelly. The opportunity to build relationships with this cast of “unsung heros” is an amazing gift. I am so humbled to be a part of the best humanity has to offer.
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I feel the same way, Paul. And bummer about the game…
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That sounds so awesome! I wish there was one local to me!
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They are recording all the productions and will air them on YouTube this summer! So keep an eye out. And you can always check out the stories from the last few years on YouTube now!
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What a wonderful article, Kelly! You really captured what Listen to Your Mother is all about! You are a fabulous blogger, writer, presenter, etc. etc. etc. We are so excited about LTYM 2015. We have a killer cast, and I feel like we’ve all ready made friendships that will last a lifetime…which is so damn amazing! I’m so proud to be a part of this, and I’m thrilled you are too!!! Love, Laura
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I feel the same, Laura. There already seems to be a spark between us, and I am so thankful to share the stage with you and others. The talent is amazing.
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Good for you, sounds like an awesome thing to take part in!
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So far, it really has been! I feel very lucky!
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This is amazing! Won’t it be nice to know that SOMEONE is listening to you since our kids never do??
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Ha!! Yes, it will 🙂
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You are a rock star, Kelly! So proud of you, and honored to have chatted over time… you’re so inspiring! xox
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Back at you! Thanks 🙂
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Sounds like fun, like it could be a Broadway show.
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Well…they are certainly making me feel like a star! 🙂
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Unsure how I feel about this post as a rebellious 17 year old who still constantly disagrees and argues with my mother… But nonetheless good on you!
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LOL my mom listens to whatever I say. And, I make sure she doesn’t become a spoiled brat.
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