This past Sunday my mom, daughter #2, grandchild #1, and I hopped into the car and drove up to Nashville to see daughter #1 in a play entitled, “Secrets of a Soccer Mom.” (Hence the asterisk after “Review” in the title. I will admit up front that I am most than just a little biased).
“Secrets of a Soccer Mom” is a snapshot of three moms sharing an afternoon at their children’s soccer field. Although I’ve never really seen (or even heard of) a soccer day where the mom’s form teams to play against their children, that is the premise of this story, and it is an important part of what is going on.
The play alternates beautifully between funny and touching. There were a couple of times I was wiping a small tear out of my eye, and trying my best to do it in such a way that no one noticed.
Throughout the play, we get to see the intricate personalities of moms, wives, and women in general. The way they are overly concerned about making sure that everyone is happy. The way they hold want to hold back to make sure the kids win because they are convinced that is what their kids need. The frustrations they feel for giving up their individual “lives” to be everything to everyone. The way they feel “stuck” with no way out at times even though they love their husbands and their kids totally and completely. The difficulty they have in getting out complete sentences because their focus is always on the kids.
In addition to personal struggles, we also catch glimpses of small triumphs along the way. I was reminded of the movie, “The Holiday,” and Kate Winslet’s search for “gumption.” These ladies have it, but they lose sight of it at times, or maybe forget that its ok to use it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the play. The three stars were fabulous, and the script was terrific. If you are in the Nashville area, check out Secrets of a Soccer Mom playing at the Looby Theater. It will be there for a couple more weeks. They also have a FB page where you can get more information.
I will be headed back to Nashville this Sunday for 2 days of training. I plan to leave early enough to see it again. It starts at 2:30. Come on down and join me. Then we’ll all go get coffee afterwards and you can tell me how much Brittany reminds you of me!