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In 'Mother.F*cker' Christine Suarez Dances a Chronology of Her Maternity
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Though it wasn't officially Mother's Day, this past weekend motherhood was celebrated at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica as choreographer/performer/educator Christine Suarez mounted her hour-long one woman show, "Mother.F*cker"directed by Tessa Blake. The project, about her experience being a mom, was performed for rapt audiences of moms, dads, those married and unmarried without kids, artists, single folks, young people and everyone else.
To musical strains of songs by 10 artists ranging from James Brown to Led Zepplin, Thelma Houston and Kyo Yamashiro, with sound design by Phil Darovic, the consummate Suarez talked, danced, changed costumes--designed by Marie-France Drouin--and moved furniture, always cleaning up after herself, just like many mothers often tell their children to do.
Around these activities, the multi-talented mater created a warm environment with her audience as she discussed the chronology of her maternity, revealed highlights of her diverse maternal lineage (Suarez was born in Venezuela and raised in Louisiana), and serio-comically enacted some of the labors and--sometimes unmentioned--responsibilities of post-Steinem 21st century motherhood.
Deftly arranging and re-arranging a set of vertical dowels, credited to Nathalie Renard, that at times resembled a fence, a child's play area and the walls of a church, Suarez danced in familiar and more abstract vernaculars and clearly understood the strengths of silence and stillness. Ably demonstrating her physical prowess post-delivery, the dancer/mom also articulately told a couple of poignant stories. In the end, she brought her four year old son on stage to dance with her. Batman and his mom (remember how close we are to Halloween) brought smiles to everyone in the room.
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During the afternoon performance, teenage moms from an LA continuation high school presented a cryptic peek into their often misunderstood situation of still being in school and raising a child. Though obviously uncomfortable with being on stage, the five young women of the Motherhood Exchange Project danced and spoke about some of the highs and lows of being a teenager and a mom at the same time. In line with Suarez's role as a socially concerned dance maker, this coda brought a strong note of today's reality to the heartwarming theatrical exposition.
Previously: Momma Still Dances Like a "Mother.F*cker." at Highways in Santa Monica
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