Expressing Motherhood

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You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll nod vigorously and maybe you’ll even say out loud “Amen, sister!” You’ll bop along to the songs of Mommy Tonk and clap and stamp your feet.
You have to go.
Expressing Motherhood is the national hit play that consists of people sharing their stories about motherhood on stage. It was created by Los Angeles moms back in 2008 who were dying to get out of their houses and looking for other moms to hang with. What they have created is a thriving community of people who have either shared their own stories on stage or attended a show.
Trust Me
I appeared in this show twice – first in 2014 in an 8-show run which was terribly nerve-wracking but great for my confidence. I told the story about my long, slow transformation from cool person to PTA mom.
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That piece is unpublished, but I think there is video of the performance somewhere on the internet. The experience was so wonderful and gave me the courage to share a much more vulnerable piece about the loneliness of motherhood in a show in the fall of 2015. That essay now appears in Notre Dame Magazine.
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Every production of Expressing Motherhood features a different cast, and some performers have never appeared on stage before. Stories range from sad to funny and also include some musical acts! Definitely bring tissues, and be prepared to be entertained.
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Co-Creator/Director Lindsay Kavet continues to produce Expressing Motherhood shows around the country. She is doing the good work.

Mommy Tonk: Music, Comedy, and Swearing, Tonight in LA

Shannon Noel and Stacie Burrows, the musical comedy duo Mommy Tonk (basically a mom version of Tenacious D), perform tonight at Open Space Theater in LA.

If you know what Tenacious D you will automatically love this idea and you should definitely check out Mommy Tonk‘s show tonight at the Open Space Theater in Los Angeles. If you don’t know what Tenacious D is, then I’m actually kind of jealous of you, because you get to discover two incredibly funny wonders of the world at once.

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But let’s focus on Mommy Tonk for a second. I met these ladies when I performed in Expressing Motherhood the first time in February of 2014, but I had already been a fan since I had seen them in previous shows. They perform comedy bits with original music about parenting and domestic issues. What catches you off guard is how earnest they seem at first. In the build up to “Mom Crush,” their parody of the Little Big Town song “Girl Crush,” they get all misty-eyed about the perfect moms they see on Instagram with their perfect lives. If this was your first time watching them, you might think they mean it, but then they launch into the song, and well, you’re just blown away.

But that’s just the beginning. Every other song is even more irreverent and filthy, turning their twisted lens on such parenting topics as organic eating, PTA fundraisers, and housecleaning. One of their numbers is bound to earworm itself into your brain, so be careful what you sing without knowing it. (Case in point, the day I happily walked around humming “Get Off Your Ass You Fucking Asshole…”)

The show is over the grade, and over the hill on Fairfax, and it’s raining today. All of those things are true. But if you happen to live over there, or are stuck in LA for a meeting and want to kill time before coming back home, or you have the rare Monday date night, catch Mommy Tonk performing with a backup from the Assless Chaps and special guest, comedian Megan Dolan. You won’t be sorry.

Mommy Tonk — Monday, March 14th at 7 pm at 457 N. Fairfax @ Oakwood

Preview Mommy Tonk on their YouTube channel and share it with your friends.