We all know her. She’s the one hovering in the wings with a water bottle and her camera phone ready… She sells tickets and t-shirts to support her kids’ shows. She mouths the words to every line her child utters onstage and her rhythm is absolutely flawless as she does the hand motions in the back of the auditorium so her little star doesn’t forget them. She is the stage mom.
But what about a different kind of stage mom? A mom who somehow (with a lot of caffeine and sleepless nights) attempts to balance her work, family, and home life so she is able to create her art. She doesn’t get to put her babies to bed for 2 months because she’s in rehearsals until past her own bedtime. Her kids knew the terms “blocking” and “off-book” before they could read and her spouse has all her lines memorized because he ran them with her over and over again.
This blog just so happens to be run by two “stage” moms, Kayla May and Ashley McGlothren, who do a lot of theatre in a lot of different capacities.
Kayla is a new mom with a degree in acting and over ten years of experience in educational theatre. She has performed professionally along the Gulf Coast and New England, and currently serves as the Camps Director for the New London Barn Playhouse (New London, NH) and the Marketing Chair for Arrant Knavery, a small non-profit theatre specializing in classical and under-produced works.
I, Ashley, am a wife and mother with a degree in theatre and over 15 years of acting and directing experience. I’m currently the Director of Marketing at one of the oldest running community theatres in the South and the president and founder of Arrant Knavery.
Right now across the Gulf Coast, and especially right here in Pensacola, something really interesting is happening: We are seeing a surge in the arts and creative community. There are TONS of artistic events and endeavors that are happening on a regular basis, from monthly gallery nights to inaugural comedy fests to hometown folks making it big on Broadway! And so. much. more. Over the past couple of years, we have seen some very talented people do incredible things and the momentum is just getting started.
So what the heck does any of that have to do with two moms writing a blog? I am so glad you asked! Kayla and I wanted to create connections within the theatre community and by creating an online, informational hub for artists and art-lovers in the Gulf Coast area. A place where anyone can learn about the exciting events that are happening right here in our own backyards.
You can also look forward to a “lifestyle” portion of this blog. Being a mom is hard. Creating theatre is hard. Doing both simultaneously is…really freaking hard. The theatre community does not have the best reputation when it comes to accommodating new mothers (or any mothers, for that matter.) Our hope is to bridge that gap in our own community and normalize mothers in theatre. Hopefully, we will also encourage a few other “stage” moms still waiting in the wings.
