NADTA 2024 Conference

Members of the Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble, Merry Ross and Vicki Dello Joio have come together once again after their successful run of 2 Women, 2 Stories performed from 2012 to 2019. This time they are exploring the transformational nature of mother-daughter relationships in their two self-revelatory pieces. Using autobiographical therapeutic performance techniques including improvisation, developmental transformations and story-telling, they take a deep dive into the trial, tribulations and triumphs of this primal and complex relationship. Merry's solo performance, "This is Why I Pay for My Children's Therapy", is a comic and poignant exploration of her relationships with both her two daughters and her mother and grandmother. It looks at how inter-generational trauma can be addressed and healed, when one is committed to doing it differently. Vicki's solo performance, "It's About Time", navigates the challenging end-of-life journey she travels with her mother, while celebrating and exploring the complex dynamics of their relationship. As Vicki transitions from daughter to mothering her own mother, she finds the humor and sorrow in letting go.