Taskmaster? Michelle Obama?

Where did I get the idea for this play? Well, I was sitting in my living room one night folding (endless) laundry on a cold winter's night flipping channels because despite hundreds of channels, you know, they're nothing to watch. I normally don't leave it on CNN...only if it's Campbell Brown because she rocks my world and I'm not sure why (maybe it's my Type A rising persona)...but that night when I flipped to CNN Michelle Obama was being interviewed by CNN Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. I was intrigued. Michelle Obama has, from the very beginning of the Obama campaigned, piqued my curiosity. A career mother with a busy life, busy husband, two kids nearly the same age as mine and somehow not only looks (because many political wives look put together) but acts like she's made it to a place where I want to be. Basically:

I want what she's got.

Not the White House, not the staff (well, I wouldn't refuse the staff), not the gorgeous children (mine are pretty darn sparkly too, at least to me), but I was more intrigued by just about everything that came out of her mouth. It felt much deeper than any other political mother I had ever heard speak. And in this interview that cold night while folding laundry I heard the newscaster say to Michelle:

"I hear at home you're the Taskmaster."

And the Bitch in me thought: Whoa! "Taskmaster?!" What a negative, slutty word for what mothers do. It conjured up images of me being the Bad Guy while my husband, who takes less of a role in running the household was the "bread earner" not the guy who doesn't know my kids' shoe sizes and hasn't a clue if we got their teachers end of the year gifts. Taskmaster gave me charge through my entire body. But, interestingly, it didn't seem to piss Michelle off in the same way. I was curious. I wanted 5 minutes with Michelle Obama to ask her why she wasn't triggered by that word. But although the Obama's have opened up the White House for many I knew Michelle probably had better things to do than sit on her couch and talk to me about motherhood.

So I decided to write about it. A short piece on motherhood so there's lots of time for discussion afterward because us mother's have to talk, right?!

Here's a summary of the play:

Beth, a 45 year old Ivy League educated Jewish woman, is trapped in her life as a working-from-home mother of three boys. What is it going to take for her to get out of a frazzled state and make it to “the other side?” Help from her kvetching Jewish mother? Gloria Steinem? Or perhaps a visit from Michelle Obama?

That's right. This play is giving you - and me - our five minutes with Michelle Obama. It felt good to write it. It felt right. I hope I've captured Michelle's point and the play sparks mothers to talk about motherhood and get involved in mothering issues.

Okay, now I'm off to get my youngest son to his playdate and then drive an hour to my older son's dance performance tonight. My husband (who's on vacation) and mother are both helping me this week so it all feels a bit effortless compared to my normal life.

Motherhood really rocks...except when it doesn't.