Mom's Talk: Comedy & Conversation

Comedy and adversity often go hand-in-hand. Anyone who is or has been a parent knows this especially well. And that laugh/cry connection is the premise behind Jennifer Cooper Bahler’s new endeavor, Comedy and Conversation, a special program for mothers and caregivers.

The show, which premieres on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. at Teanacious in the Livingston Town Center, meshes stand-up comedy with therapeutic conversation related to the stresses of motherhood.

Bahler, a former teacher in Westfield, is a professional comedienne who has appeared at Caroline’s in New York City and studied at the American Comedy Institute. She is also a licensed professional counselor with a practice in Livingston. 

She points out that parenthood, especially motherhood, is a struggle.  “Everyone has guilt and no one feels like they’re doing it well,” she says.  And there are tons of issues involved.  “There’s the loss of self, the strain on your marriage or partnership, how to find balance, the fact that you’re very often operating with almost no sleep.” 

As the mother of a toddler who is also pregnant with her second child, she speaks from experience. “People think that the stress one experiences after birth is postpartum depression. Often it’s not. There’s a normal transition to motherhood that is inherently stressful,” she says. 

That’s why her show isn’t just comedy.  “Some moms have never talked about this stuff before. They laugh at the truth as I tap into topics that might be considered ‘unspeakable’.”  Those topics include guilt about getting a child to sleep, how much TV we let our toddlers watch, lack of interest in sex, inattentiveness to personal hygiene, and how much fast food we really give our kids. 

Sometimes her material deliberately prompts the audience to be silent rather than laugh as she hopes that those topics will prompt conversation later.  “People who have seen the show find the discussion afterward validating and even therapeutic.”

As a counselor, she’s well qualified to lead the after show chat. Her private practice has been in Livingston is comprised primarily of individuals and families with adolescents ages 14 and up as well as empty nesters and senior citizens.  She shares space with her cardiologist father, Dr. Alan Bahler, and sister-in-law, geriatrician Dr. Emily Bahler.   

“My goal is to bring laughter and relief to moms everywhere,” says Bahler.  “Talking about it, understanding that the stress we deal with is shared by others, is healthy. I think everyone who comes will have a good time.” 

Teanacious is located at 6145 Town Center Way in Livingston, (973) 535-3600.  Register for the performance of Comedy and Conversation before Oct. 12 by sending an email to RAC.Entertainment@gmail.com.  Jennifer Cooper Bahler’s practice is located at 201 South Livingston Ave., Suite 2F, (973) 727-7924.  Her email is jcbcounselor@gmail.com.