"Listen to Your Mother literally changed my life," says Pam Moore, co-producer of Boulder’s Listen To Your Mother show. In 2013, Moore was a part-time occupational therapist and a new mom adrift in the whirlwind of early motherhood when she stumbled upon an opportunity that would redefine her path.
"I was working super part-time and was just going, ‘Who am I since having had a child?’" Moore recalls. "I had been dabbling in writing as a blogger in 2013 when I found out that the Listen To Your Mother show was looking to expand to new cities. On a total whim, I applied to bring it to Boulder with a friend, Joelle Wisler, and we ended up hosting it in Boulder in 2013, 2014 and 2015. That experience gave me the confidence to be a writer and made me feel so powerful."
That leap of faith launched a tradition that has filled hearts and ached bellies with laughter for over a decade. Now, Listen To Your Mother Boulder celebrates its twelfth season on Sunday, May 4 at 4 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church downtown. Local writers will take the stage to share their original essays about motherhood, capturing the highs, lows, absurdities and heartaches, with proceeds benefiting A Precious Child, a nonprofit that helps local families.
"At a time when parental mental health is at an all-time low and political divisions are at an all-time high, this show — featuring thirteen local writers reading their original essays about motherhood, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between — is a celebration of Mother's Day, storytelling and our shared humanity," Moore says.
The show’s format remains refreshingly intimate. Readers step up to a simple podium with their printed essays, surrounded by their fellow castmates who, quite literally, have their backs.
"It’s like a glorified campfire," Moore explains. "The cast is sitting on the stage, and one person at a time comes up to the podium and reads their story. It is not a dramatic telling. We have a binder with glare-proof plastic sheets, and we print out your story and put it in there, so people are literally reading. No one has to memorize anything or be theatrical about it."
This year's cast promises a vibrant blend of humor, poignancy and resilience. Stories range from Sheryl Cardozo's comic take on cliché parenting advice to Erin Livingston's reflections on how a cancer diagnosis shaped her journey to motherhood. Co-producer Stephanie Sprenger will read "Flappable," exploring how becoming a newly single mother revealed a hidden well of strength.
"The beautiful thing about Listen To Your Mother is we have some pieces that will make you laugh so hard you pee your pants and others that might make you ugly cry in public," Sprenger says. "We've got funny. We've got heartfelt. We have pieces about loss and grief. I mean, you can't talk about motherhood without people having stories about having lost their mother or a mom with dementia. The stores run the gamut."
In recent years, Moore and Sprenger have expanded Listen To Your Mother's reach. A holiday-themed show and a motherhood-focused comedy night last year were warmly received, with another holiday show planned for November and potential events in Denver on the horizon.
Beyond performances, Moore and Sprenger are cultivating new storytellers. They'll host an essay-writing workshop on May 28 in West Arvada, aimed at helping people shape their own experiences into powerful narratives.
"If people are fired up after seeing the show and want to write their own essay, we can help them," Moore says. "It's easy to want to write an essay, but it can be really hard to get those ideas from your head onto the page. That's what our essay writing class is going to be. We’ll be explaining to folks the basics of what a good essay looks like and helping you leave the class with the bones or maybe even a draft of an essay."
Despite being around for more than a decade, Listen To Your Mother remains a simple, radical act of connection. Before every show, the cast gathers in a circle, grounding themselves in the reminder: "Our voices matter. Our stories matter."
For Moore and Sprenger, co-producing this season feels especially poignant. "We’re at this sweet spot where every show feels just magnificent," Sprenger says. "It’s a culmination of years of effort, connection and growth."
As the world outside feels increasingly chaotic, Listen To Your Mother offers a refuge — a chance to come together, to listen deeply and to remember that laughter and tears are often two sides of the same coin.
"At a time when everything feels so fraught and divided, it can be easy to feel powerless," Moore says. "But this makes me feel empowered. I feel like I still can use my creativity to share my stories with an audience and somehow bring them joy. Regardless of the political climate and all the other anxieties in the world, on Sunday, May 4, we can go into the First United Methodist Church and have this beautiful experience together."
Listen To Your Mother, Sunday, May 4, First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce Street, Boulder. Tickets are $28. Learn more at wordtoyourmotherarts.substack.com.
"I was working super part-time and was just going, ‘Who am I since having had a child?’" Moore recalls. "I had been dabbling in writing as a blogger in 2013 when I found out that the Listen To Your Mother show was looking to expand to new cities. On a total whim, I applied to bring it to Boulder with a friend, Joelle Wisler, and we ended up hosting it in Boulder in 2013, 2014 and 2015. That experience gave me the confidence to be a writer and made me feel so powerful."
That leap of faith launched a tradition that has filled hearts and ached bellies with laughter for over a decade. Now, Listen To Your Mother Boulder celebrates its twelfth season on Sunday, May 4 at 4 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church downtown. Local writers will take the stage to share their original essays about motherhood, capturing the highs, lows, absurdities and heartaches, with proceeds benefiting A Precious Child, a nonprofit that helps local families.
"At a time when parental mental health is at an all-time low and political divisions are at an all-time high, this show — featuring thirteen local writers reading their original essays about motherhood, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between — is a celebration of Mother's Day, storytelling and our shared humanity," Moore says.
The show’s format remains refreshingly intimate. Readers step up to a simple podium with their printed essays, surrounded by their fellow castmates who, quite literally, have their backs.
"It’s like a glorified campfire," Moore explains. "The cast is sitting on the stage, and one person at a time comes up to the podium and reads their story. It is not a dramatic telling. We have a binder with glare-proof plastic sheets, and we print out your story and put it in there, so people are literally reading. No one has to memorize anything or be theatrical about it."
Listen To Your Mother is an opportunity to hear stories (good, bad and ugly) about motherhood.
Courtesy of Stephanie Sprenger
"The beautiful thing about Listen To Your Mother is we have some pieces that will make you laugh so hard you pee your pants and others that might make you ugly cry in public," Sprenger says. "We've got funny. We've got heartfelt. We have pieces about loss and grief. I mean, you can't talk about motherhood without people having stories about having lost their mother or a mom with dementia. The stores run the gamut."
In recent years, Moore and Sprenger have expanded Listen To Your Mother's reach. A holiday-themed show and a motherhood-focused comedy night last year were warmly received, with another holiday show planned for November and potential events in Denver on the horizon.
Beyond performances, Moore and Sprenger are cultivating new storytellers. They'll host an essay-writing workshop on May 28 in West Arvada, aimed at helping people shape their own experiences into powerful narratives.
"If people are fired up after seeing the show and want to write their own essay, we can help them," Moore says. "It's easy to want to write an essay, but it can be really hard to get those ideas from your head onto the page. That's what our essay writing class is going to be. We’ll be explaining to folks the basics of what a good essay looks like and helping you leave the class with the bones or maybe even a draft of an essay."
While the show often draws a primarily female audience, Moore and Sprenger emphasize that Listen To Your Mother is for everyone. "Everybody has a mom, and even if you don't, you likely have a woman in your life who nurtured you," Moore says. "We want more men to feel welcome sharing their stories, too."
"This show isn't really about motherhood; it's about relationships and connection," Sprenger adds, "Men love this show. Some of my favorite audience members are men who come every year and walk away profoundly moved. So, whether or not you're a mom or a woman, or if you don't have a mom or hate your mom, this is about the stuff that ties us all together."
One of the co-producers of Listen To Your Mother describes it as "a glorified campfire."
Courtesy of Breanna Noonan
For Moore and Sprenger, co-producing this season feels especially poignant. "We’re at this sweet spot where every show feels just magnificent," Sprenger says. "It’s a culmination of years of effort, connection and growth."
As the world outside feels increasingly chaotic, Listen To Your Mother offers a refuge — a chance to come together, to listen deeply and to remember that laughter and tears are often two sides of the same coin.
"At a time when everything feels so fraught and divided, it can be easy to feel powerless," Moore says. "But this makes me feel empowered. I feel like I still can use my creativity to share my stories with an audience and somehow bring them joy. Regardless of the political climate and all the other anxieties in the world, on Sunday, May 4, we can go into the First United Methodist Church and have this beautiful experience together."
Listen To Your Mother, Sunday, May 4, First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce Street, Boulder. Tickets are $28. Learn more at wordtoyourmotherarts.substack.com.
