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Adopted Moms, Birth Moms, and People Who Throw the Baby in the Air

by Angeli Primlani, playwright, director, actor

I understand a little bit why one doesn’t usually involve the playwright too heavily in the rehearsal process.
It’s not a problem for me as a director, although there is a weird dynamic - see, its like I’m the adoptive mother of two gorgeous babies and then one of the birth mothers shows up and I become a little self conscious. But not in a bad way, just in a delightful creatively tense way.
Then I got on stage to act in front of the playwright and I was suddenly made of thumbs. I couldn’t even read the words properly on the page. I second-guessed every line reading. Because instead of simply being the adoptive mother I was suddenly throwing the baby in the air in front of the mother! At any moment I was going to drop the baby! In front of her! Oh no!
I’ve deliberately kept myself a bit distant from the direction of my play, because I think it is pretty close to finished and I do not want to mess with the actors and director. And then from time to time I get anxious about it and wonder what is happening.
But do I want to be in the room while they throw my baby in the air? No, its really better if I wait until they’ve practiced a bit and can do it with ease.