Bread & Roses Missouri presents The Caregiving Project: ‘Who’s Taking Care of Momma?’ Aug. 2-3
St. Louis – Bread and Roses Missouri will present The Caregiving Project: “Who’s Taking Care of Momma?” Aug. 2-3 at the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Rehearsal Hall, 3333 Washington Ave., St. Louis.
This original play by Mariah L. Richardson (“The Ville: Avengence!;” “Drawn In,” PBS) is a powerful exploration of the challenges of caregiving, a vital issue impacting countless individuals and families, and is written based on interviews with local St. Louis caregivers – those who provide critical care for family members and those who are paid to provide care. The play asks the question, “Who’s taking care of the caregivers?”
Directed by Deanna Jent, program director of The Confluence New Play Festival), the cast includes St. Louis locals Ricki Franklin (“As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival), Leslie Wobbe (“Bandera, Texas,” Prism Theatre Co.) , and Michelle Dillard (“Social Justice Shorts,” Bread & Roses Missouri).
“While nearly every person at some point in their lives will either need to provide care to somebody, or will be the person who needs care, the work of caregiving is often rendered invisible,” said Emily Kohring, executive director of Bread and Roses Missouri.
“Workplace and government policy rarely provides caregivers the support or resources they need. Paid caregivers are most often working for low wages in less-than-ideal conditions. We created this project to amplify the voices and concerns of caregivers through the most powerful medium we know – storytelling.”
In the play, Lacy is trying to juggle it all – her kids, her full-time job, and a mother in the early stages of dementia. Some days she manages, and other days it all feels like too much.
Her kids need her care, her mom needs her care – but who’s taking care of Lacy? When Lacy finds a support group for caregivers, she discovers a community of people with their own unique stories of the challenges and the joys of caring for other people.
SUPPORT & FUNDING
The Caregiving Project: “Who’s Taking Care of Momma?” is supported and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arts & Education Council’s Arts and Healing Initiative, and the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission.
ABOUT THE CAREGIVING PROJECT
The Caregiving Project aims to highlight the lack of caregiving support in the workforce and the profound impact this has on caregivers, especially women. While caregiving can be rewarding, it is often unpaid and undervalued, leading to significant personal and economic challenges.
The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that the U.S. economy loses up to $840 billion annually in economic output due to the suppression of women in the labor force caused by the lack of caregiving support.
PERFORMANCE TIMES AND RESERVATIONS
The Caring Project: “Who’s taking care of Momma?” will be performed Aug. 2 at 7 p.m., and Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Rehearsal Hall, 3333 Washington Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63103
Tickets are free, but reservations are strongly encouraged. To reserve your tickets, visit .
Off the Clock: Arts and Activism After Hours benefit for Bread & Roses MO a fun-filled success
By LINDA JARRETT
Correspondent
Bread and Roses held its “Off the Clock: Arts and Activism After Hours,” benefit on June 20 at Work and Leisure, 3015 Locust St. Funds raised will support the organization’s theater programs and the Caregiving Project for caregivers, both in-home and those employed outside the home.
Jose R. Gomez, business manager of Laborers Local 110, and Adelia Parker Castro, community artist and humanitarian, served as honorary co-chairs for the event.
Sponsors were Missouri Jobs With Justice, Laborers Local 110, Schuchat, Cook and Werner law firm, Harper Barnes, board member Roseann Weiss, and Bread and Roses Founder Emeritus Joan Suarez.
WORKERS’ OPERA AND YOUTH PROGRAMS
Bread and Roses is expanding its youth projects into after school and year-round programs.
“Every summer, we’ve done youth art camps where we go into low-income areas and teach people how to think creatively and raise consciousness in these kids and turn them into social activists,” said Sherri Hall, former board member and attorney for the Workers’ Rights Law Firm. “We teach them about unions and standing up for their rights in the best way.”
The Workers Opera, which presented the play “1877” last year, will also benefit from funds raised.
The group is in the process of creating a play that actors will perform for all Jobs With Justice 25th anniversary parties in Kansas City, Mo., Columbia, Mo., Springfield, Mo., and St. Louis, Mo.
“We do a casting call where the workers actually write the show or collaborate to write the show about issues they’re having in the workplace, things that bother them or are important to them,” Hall said. “And many of those same people are involved with our special theater projects.”
DELIVERING A MESSAGE
Mike Paplamus, union shop steward and legislative committee member with Communication Workers of America Local 6300, is an actor with the Workers Opera and said he looks at art as a physical manifestation of emotion.
“Art is a good way to deliver a message in a way that it’s easily accepted,” he said. “When you look at a painting, you don’t have to say anything. You look at the painting and see what’s going on.
“You get the message, and it can be different to everyone,” he said.
THE CAREGIVING PROJECT
Bread and Roses will present Caregiving Project: “Who’s Taking Care of Momma?” Aug. 2-3 at the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Rehearsal Hall, 3333 Washington Ave., St. Louis. (See related story on this page.)
“Caregiving has so many different facets, including employees and family members who need to be caregivers and how it affects their lives,” Hall said.
“Every time I talk to someone about this project, almost 80 to 90 percent of the time, some have their own story about caring for someone and the challenges that accompany it,” said Emily Kohring, Bread and Roses executive director. “Whether it’s a young child or a mother who is elderly and needs care.”
Following the Aug. 2-3 performances, Bread and Roses hopes to bring the play to various places in the community, such as a union hall or a community center.
“Anywhere where there might be a group of caregivers and people who want to talk about caregiving,” Kohring said. “After the play, we’ll discuss the issues it raises.”
Leave a Reply