My Other Mother — the Musical (music by Miriam Kook) by Steffi Rubin

FULL LENGTH. Twelve-year-old energetic, high-spirited Young Teri learns that she is adopted, and the revelation unlocks a universe of possibilities. No longer restricted by the limitations of the family she knows, she begins to imagine her “other” mother, certain that she will find a place to belong within the family of her invention. Five decades later, and older Teri reaches out to her sisters Sherry (the Tea...
FULL LENGTH. Twelve-year-old energetic, high-spirited Young Teri learns that she is adopted, and the revelation unlocks a universe of possibilities. No longer restricted by the limitations of the family she knows, she begins to imagine her “other” mother, certain that she will find a place to belong within the family of her invention. Five decades later, and older Teri reaches out to her sisters Sherry (the Tea Party sister) and Sheila (the Disney sister) only to discover that Mom was not so wonderful and that her sisters are estranged, the result of a long-kept secret neither one can face.

Finding herself in the middle of their struggle, Teri is convinced that it is her destiny to restore their relationship. An ill-conceived plan, inspired by her younger persona (Young Teri), jeopardizes the fragile connection between Teri and her newly discovered sisters, forcing her to examine the childhood she had, the childhood she imagined, and the one that she might have endured. In despair of never truly belonging, Teri must finally forfeit her fantasy and confront the facts about her mysterious other mother, and about herself.
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My Other Mother — the Musical (music by Miriam Kook)

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Character Information

Cast of Characters: Seven actors: 5f, 2m

  • Teri Gordon
    mid -60s,
    Female
    The adoptee. Half-sister to Sherry and Sheila. Mid 60s. Artsy. Spunky. High energy. Has been wondering about her bio mom since learning she was adopted at age 12.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Young Teri
    12,
    Female
    Teri at age 12. Spunky, tomboy, physically expressive. Risk-taker, inquisitive, curious. Longs for an artsy mom who makes her feel heard, seen and appreciated. She is the embodied voice inside TERI’s head but not responded to.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Sherry
    mid-60s,
    Female
    Older of Teri’s two half-sisters. Mid-60s. Married to Phil. Tea Partyer. Always looks put together. Reserved. Wary of authority, she tends to be private. Also plays herself as “YOUNG SHERRY.”
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Sheila
    mid-60s,
    Female
    Younger of Teri’s two half-sisters. Early 60s. Annual pass to Disney. Diabetic. Preference for sparkly Disney muumuus and an inclination toward fantasy. Not afraid to express herself. Also plays herself as “YOUNG SHEILA.”
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Phil
    mid-60s,
    Male
    Sherry’s husband. Mid-60s. Tea Partyer. Devoted to Sherry, and despite their constant good-natured teasing, is very protective of her and wants to understand her demons.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • David
    30s up to 40,
    Male
    Sheila’s son, mid- to late-30s. Late bloomer who lives at home with his mom while his dad lives and works overseas. Also into Disney. Engaged to be married, he is starting to know his own mind.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Beverly
    40s,
    Female
    Teri’s adopted mom, hard of hearing, mid-40s, conventional, fearful, unimaginative, with a low tolerance for “different.” Knows that she is not the mother her daughter imagines, but then, Teri is not the kid she imagined, either.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Molly—Offstage voice, played by Beverly
    40s,
    Female
    Teri’s bio-mom, Sherry and Sheila’s mom. Likely bi-polar with issues of rage, possibly a response to the experience of giving up a baby and keeping it a secret her entire adult life. (off-stage voice played by Beverly)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Dorchester Center for the Arts, Cambridge, MD
    ,
    2019
  • Reading
    ,
    Silhouette Stages, Columbia, MD
    ,
    2018
  • Reading
    ,
    Table read, Durham, NC
    ,
    2016

Production History

  • Community Theater
    ,
    Silhouette Stages Cabaret: "Nearer Than I Knew" MUSICAL EXCERPT from My Other Mother
    ,
    2019

Awards

Finalist
,
Village Theatre, Everett, Washington
,
2018