Westfield Mom Blogger Stars in 'Listen to Your Mother'

This Mother's Day Westfield mom Kim Forde will be celebrating in a unique way.

The founder of the blog 'The Fordeville Diaries' will take the stage along with 19 other writers and performers who are sharing their impressions of motherhood as part of 'Listen To Your Mother,' a national series of live readings in honor of Mother’s Day.

The brainchild of self-proclaimed stay-at-home-humorist Ann Imig who wanted to bring the online voices of moms in the trenches to live audiences, 'LTYM' began on Mother’s Day 2010 at The Barrymore Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. This Sunday, 'LTYM' will be performed at 5 p.m. at Symphony Space, located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street in Manhattan.

In just three years, the show has become "a phenomenon," explained one of its New York City producers, Holly Rosen Fink, who noted that will be staged in 24 cities this year.

Forde, who is expecting her third child in early June, said she is "thrilled and honored" to find herself among so many accomplished writers and performers included in the production. 

"I'm very excited about it," said the writer who penned her piece, an open letter to her unborn child that serves as a tender and funny half-welcome, half-warning, specifically for her February audition. "It's been nothing but a great experience."

After spending two decades working in corporate communications and speech writing, Forde, who is accustomed to hiding behind her keyboard, said the thought of reading before an audience of strangers is a bit nerve-wracking.

"My biggest hope is that I don't go into labor and steal the scene from the other writers and actors," she joked.

From hilarious and heartbreaking to touching and sweet, Forde said the real-life stories span the gamut, making it "a spectacular show."

Fink said Forde was one of 100 artists who auditioned for the New York production.

"We could have cast everyone," said the producer. "Every story was unique and very powerful. Kim came in and she was pregnant, pretty pregnant, and we admired her for her bravery and creativity. Her piece, and the emotional ups and downs of it, spoke to our hearts." 

The show also includes stories told by moms raising special needs children, a breast cancer survivor and a grandmother as well as a mom, Nicole Goodwin, who served as a U.S. Army officer in Iraq and returned to find herself and her daughter homeless. A single woman also comes to terms with the fact that she might never become a mother.

Fink said the writers also share stories that reflect events that have occurred in the New York area within the last decade.

"We have a mom from Newtown with a very beautiful story. She didn't lose her children but she knew families who did and she is still living in Sandy Hook. We have another mom who talks about 9/11. She was pushing her stroller when the towers fell," she said.

Forde, who recently contributed to 'I Just Want to Pee Alone,' a collection of humorous essays, said she never imagined where her blog would take her when she began it less than three years ago. 

"Leaving corporate writing and finding another outlet and finding other women who are sharing their stories, it's really unique,' she said. "It's a big, powerful network."

It was through that network that the blogger learned of the the 'LTYM' audition. While this genre is a big departure for Forde, the stay-at-home mom said there is certainly no shortage of material. To read more about Forde's forays in parenting in the suburbs, or to win a pair of tickets to Sunday's show, visit her blog: http://fordevillediaries.com/

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. They can be purchased by clicking here. Please note that 10% of ticket sales go to local charity Family-to-Family. The performance will also be available for viewing on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LTYMShow