In co-producing a performance exploring the complicated subject of motherhood, one San Antonio blogger prepares to shine a light on local storytelling talent—and a deserving charity—this Mother’s Day weekend.
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Story by Pamela Price
Jill Robbins loves her work co-directing and co-producing San Antonio’s Listen to Your Mother. The annual event is part of a national production series, one featuring live readings about motherhood written by local authors.
“I love it like I love one of my kids,” Robbins said in a recent telephone interview.
A popular parenting and travel blogger with a sizable following online, Robbins first came to the project as a reader in 2015 at an Austin show. A year later she applied to be a producer in order to bring the show to the Alamo City.
“When I was a reader, it was validating to speak the words, my words, out loud—very freeing. Now I like helping people go through the process and have a similar experience.”
Typically held around Mother’s Day, work begins several months out. “We started re-production in January, selecting a venue, securing sponsors and identifying a charity.”
Robbins emphasized that the show isn’t designed to turn a profit per se. Instead, once all the bills are paid, a local organization receives a contribution. For 2019 the beneficiary is Roy Maas Youth Alternatives, a well-regarded charity that serves children and youth in crisis.
“My co-producer, Jenny Badger, suggested them. They have quite a presence in San Antonio, and we’re delighted to be working with them. Every year we try to align with a charity supports children.”
With a 2019 beneficiary selected and a date and performance location secured—the Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater at the Tobin Center on May 11, 2019 at 2:00 p.m., Robbins, the cast, and the Listen to Your Mother production team began the production process. Auditions were held in late winter, with several readers being selected for the 90-minute show, in the words of promotional material, “about the diverse, true stories of motherhood: being a mom, having a mom, losing a mom, finding a mom . . . and much more.”
Photo credit: Mewborne Photography.
Although there’s no narrative or plot per se, there’s a definite flow to the show—thanks to the producers lining the stories up so that they fit together in a compelling way.
“There’s definitely a story arc to it, but these are different stories and different storytellers,” Robbins said. “Some of the stories are intense—stories about poverty, mental illness. The lighter pieces are at the back of the lineup, to give that sense of emotional uplift as you leave. It’s very satisfying in the end.”
Robbins added that she and Badger added a third person to their production team this year, Maria Luisa Cesar. A former journalist and member of Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s administration who now consults with non-profit organizations on their storytelling, Cesar brings what Robbins called a “strong Latina voice to the show. We wanted someone to give us a way to expand our reach in San Antonio, to diversify voices and the audience.”
Looking ahead, Robbins hopes that in this year’s audience is one or more of next year’s readers. “We’re trying to get as many people into see it, to enjoy it, and to decide that they want to audition for it next year.”
For general information about the annual Listen to Your Mother San Antonio production, see Robbins’ website and be sure to follow her social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for updates on her own stories and adventures. To purchase tickets for the 2019 show—which was almost sold out at press time, see the Tobin Center website.
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Thank you so much for having me. It always so fun to talk to you.