When it comes to separation anxiety, my son is king. I mostly attribute it to the fact that I’m such an amazing mother! (sarcasm is obvious when written right?). Actually, I attribute it to the fact that I’m a stay-at-home-mom. My son doesn’t know anything else. While we do go to a lot (emphasize A LOT) of programs, I’m always right there with him. To him, his world doesn’t exist without me. Granted, he’s not even three yet, so I know that this will all change soon. I’m also pretty sure that his separation anxiety is very typical.
What’s not typical, is the reverse. A mother experiencing separation anxiety from her child. Yet, some parents experience this, including M.J. Kang, mother to Mia and playwright of Stay With Me. While M.J. confesses that her daughter used to be attached to her hip, it all changed once she turned five. M.J. longed for the closeness she once shared with her daughter, now an independent, confident pre-schooler. The roles have truly changed when it was M.J. who started to experience separation anxiety.
M.J. wrote a comedic script about her thoughts and feelings. Along with her daughter, M.J. is performing at FringeKids! A family friendly show aimed at audiences aged four to 12.
Here’s what M.J. had to say in her own words…
I wrote this play because as a mother I find it’s me that has the separation anxiety and I have been finding this process of writing the script, showing it to a few friends, rehearsing and re-writing incredibly helpful in my journey of letting go – to allow my daughter to become her own person. I find motherhood, warts and all, to be incredibly joyful and that is what I hope comes across in my play – the love, fun, joy, and honesty of motherhood. It’s a comedy so be prepared to laugh.
You can check out the 45 minute show, starting July 4th through July 13th, at Palmerston Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults and only $5 for children 12 and under. For more information click here: http://fringetoronto.com/fringe-festival/shows/stay-with-me/