Overview
Synopsis
Stretchmarks is a hilarious, heartfelt play about the journey of a lifetime: motherhood! It is the story of three very different women as they go from being child of a mother to mother of a child. We follow along as we see their deepest challenges and struggles in being new mothers...everything from sleep deprivation, to work-life balance, to coming to grips with their relationships with their own mothers, to expressing that ineffable love a mother feels for their child. All being guided by the wisdom and good humor of Mother Nature. It is a very funny and touching play, written by mommas for mommas...it will have you laughing and crying...and when you get home you just might call your mother!
Show Information
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2003
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- Settings
- Contemporary, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- modern day
- Cast Size
- small
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Unpublished
- Ideal For
- All-Female Cast, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Theatre, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Young Adult Characters
Context
Stretchmarks was born in 2002 from a writing group of 4 mothers, Christine Armand, Sarah Cluff, Christine Garofoli, and Jodi Schiller who met weekly to share their experiences. They combined their voices and formed a piece called “Stretchmarks: Growing Into Motherhood” that was a combination of comedic and dramatic monologues and songs expressing their musings on the challenges and joys of being new mothers. Christine Armand structured the pieces into a full length play, adding the
to read the context for stretchmarks and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One, Scene 1: Stretchmarks begins with a bare stage with three small lifeless trees, and in the base of each tree, there is a small luminescent ball. Mother Nature enters as a homeless woman with a crown of flowers on her head carrying a drum and a change cup, asking the audience for change. The song “Cheek to Cheek” is playing, and she is humming along. She speaks to the audience and tells of her concerns for mothers these days. She becomes indignant, remembering a time when mothers were
to read the plot for stretchmarks and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
|
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
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|
Ensemble |
Female |
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|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
|
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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