Mom’s the Word was created out of a Saturday morning writers’ support group. Getting together to share their experiences, six women performers struck upon the idea to write about what they were going through as mothers trying to maintain their careers, their individual identities and their relationships with their partners. The result is an evening of hilarious stories, bittersweet monologues, poetic reflections and revelatory anecdotes. Touching tales of giving birth to a premature baby are balanced against comic, ribald rants on diaper soup; whispered, hesitant conversations about sex after children; and the desperate confessionals of the over-stressed.

All six moms have two children, display the keenly-honed emotional edge of the sleep-deprived and share among themselves (and with the audience) some of the most outrageous stories ever heard on the agony and ecstasy of motherhood—all of them true. In her introduction, Barbara Crook allows us to meet the participants in this extraordinary collaboration and chronicles the evolution of the play from life to art. Mom’s the Word offers its audiences an emotional nakedness that is instantly recognizable as elemental. An evening with these Moms is one of those rare occasions where life, stripped to its essentials, does not imitate art, but lifts itself on its diaper-pins to become art.

The result is one of the most popular shows ever to come out of the Vancouver theatre community. Originally presented at the 1994 Women in View Festival, Mom’s the Word moved rapidly from smaller stages to a tour of Western Canada in 1996-1997; to Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in 1998; to London in 1999; and is scheduled for performances in the USA, Israel and Spain in 2000.

Linda A. Carson
Linda Carson is a graduate of Canada’s renowned Studio 58 acting program and has been a professional actor, clown and writer for the past sixteen years. Linda’s first play Dying to be Thin won a Jessie Richardson Award in Vancouver. Carson is part of the creative team that wrote the award winning, internationally acclaimed hit Mom’s the Word, available from Talonbooks.

Jill Daum
Jill Daum is a graduate of the Studio 58 Acting Program in Vancouver Canada. Immediately after completing her training she began a career which has spanned 20 years thus far. Jill has worked as a writer and actor in theatre, film, television and radio. Daum is part of the creative team that wrote the award winning, internationally acclaimed hit Mom’s the Word, available from Talonbooks.

Alison Kelly
Alison Kelly is a graduate of Studio 58 in Vancouver, Canada. She has been working as an actor, writer, street performer and acting teacher for the past 15 years. Alison lives in a very messy house in North Vancouver with her husband and two children. She fantasizes about living in a tidy house and spending her days gardening. Kelly is part of the creative team that wrote the award winning, internationally acclaimed hit Mom’s the Word, available from Talonbooks.

Linda A. Carson's profile page

Jill Daum is a graduate of the Studio 58 Acting Program in Vancouver Canada. Immediately after completing her training she began a career which has spanned 20 years thus far. Jill has worked as a writer and actor in theatre, film, television and radio. Daum is part of the creative team that wrote the award winning, internationally acclaimed hit Mom’s the Word, available from Talonbooks.

Jill Daum's profile page

Alison Kelly is a playwright, actor, writer, and theatre instructor. She is best known as one of the writers and performers of the award-winning, internationally acclaimed play Mom’s The Word, and the sequels, Mom’s the Word 2: Unhinged, Mom’s The Word: For Crying Out Loud, Mom’s The Word: Nest 1/2 Empty, and, upcoming, Mom’s The Word: Let’s Talk Turkey. Her essay “Present Imperfect” appears in the Canadian bestseller Between Interruptions. Granville Island ABC is her first book for families and young audiences.

Alison Kelly's profile page

• Winner, Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Original Play or Musical (Arts Club Theatre)

“I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to enjoy a show this much.”
— Georgia Straight