Baby Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Give Her Child to Gay People
About the show
Caps Lock Theatre presents Mariah MacCarthy's autobiographical solo show about her unplanned pregnancy and her efforts to place the child with the gay couple of her dreams. More…
'Baby Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Give Her Child to Gay People' tracks one birth mother’s true adoption journey, from conception to placement—while still living her life, dating, and attending the occasional orgy. From adoption agencies to vaginal discharge, burlesque to good-byes, this intimate night of storytelling is up close and personal.
"MacCarthy’s writing style is accessible and poignant…MacCarthy brought immense heart and soul that effortlessly leaped from page to stage…There was a bit of discomfort to start but once she began to live in her story once again, MacCarthy beamed with passion…Director Sara Lyons helped to bring out the humor of the situation while balancing the gravitas…MacCarthy tells a story. Plain and simple. And that’s what made 'Baby Mama' so powerful." Full Review
"The account is funny, sexy, and heartbreaking. MacCarthy is a terrific performer and her honest, direct, and sassy delivery raises important questions about reproductive choice and the ways class impacts everyday life...There is neither self-pity nor resentment in MacCarthy’s delivery. Instead, thanks to Sara Lyons’ excellent direction, MacCarthy’s straightforward storytelling is riveting and easily opens the door to larger political concerns." Full Review
"The tone of 'Baby Mama' is warm and inviting...Mariah’s script and performance are full of heart and an obvious labor of love. Her story truly stands on its own, and is thankfully uncluttered by theater-y gimmicks…It’s really funny, but never self-effacing. It’s incredibly tender, but she doesn’t gloss over or trivialize the complicated parts…'Baby Mama' also serves as a really interesting first-person retrospective of Mariah’s artistic life during and after her pregnancy." Full Review
"MacCarthy's narration of her life circa 2012 is funny, moving and unapologetically candid, as is her performance. At the same time...I found myself wanting to know more about the people on the fringes of the story...As it is, MacCarthy glosses over moments that seem to warrant more exploration than they're given. Still, 'Baby Mama' is an entertaining slice of biography that offers a thought-provoking (if sometimes myopic) perspective on a kind of motherhood that's not often talked about." Full Review
for a previous production "MacCarthy has a breezy, conversational style. It’s almost like you’re a guest at her party, where she holds court telling compelling, honest stories. There’s no pretense. And while there’s obviously a script, you get the sense she’s never tied to it but has the freedom to express herself however she wants...There’s nothing repressed about her sexuality, but more than that, she’s completely vulnerable about her feelings, emotions, successes and failures." Full Review
for a previous production "Part confessional and part burlesque, 'Baby Mama' is both a historical account and an open letter to her son...It is also brutally truthful, but in ways both refreshing to hear and educational. MacCarthy goes into detail about experiences with everything from orgies and excrement, but she never at any point loses her intimate connection with the audience...MacCarthy’s story is charming and touching: lighthearted at times, heart-wrenching at others, and is not to be missed." Full Review
for a previous production "This is a life lived to the fullest, with all the small madnesses, hard decisions and certainties of the heart that come with it. Even so, 'Baby Mama' feels a little long...Lending a little more narrative and empathy to those in the circle would give the show some additional depth and dynamic...If you’re coming to the Fringe for a production that demands life on its own difficult and confusing terms, you’ve come to the right church and the right pew." Full Review
See it if You are a feminist or a birth mother, you know a feminist or a birth mother, you like good writing, burlesque, or supporting strong women
Don't see it if You're a sexist tool, you hate one-man shows, you hate humor, you hate burlesque
See it if You are interested in an original, personal, sexy and triumphant story about a difficult choice.
Don't see it if You for some reason don't want to see a woman making decisions about her life
See it if you want to be swept along on an exciting, emotional journey that reverberates with honesty and humor.
Don't see it if you're not into storytelling.
See it if Great singing
Don't see it if Plot wasn't as I thought
See it if there was nothing to watch
Don't see it if I was watching something I liked
See it if you like to be bored out of your mind
Don't see it if you appreciate good; acting, story line, people with adequate theater skills.
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