Secrets of a Soccer Mom

Yes, I drive a big white mini-van. And yes, I have two sons who play soccer. And yes, this year, my husband will be their team’s coach, replete with clipboard and whistle.

But I am not a “SOCCER MOM.”

No, no, no, no (la, la, la, la, I can’t hear you). Soccer moms are different. They’re a breed unto themselves. They’re crazy about carpools and snack charts and ORANGE SLICES. Laundry makes them feel useful! They get high off the earthy aroma of muddy cleats. Soccer moms actually like living their lives on the sidelines.

Or do they?

That’s the crux of “Secrets of a Soccer Mom”, written by Kathleen Clark and directed by Maryanna Clarke, founder of the Tennessee Women's Theater Project. The play, which runs through March 14th at Looby Theater, introduces us to three very different—but devoted—soccer moms as they bond and bare their souls on the sidelines of the annual mother-child soccer tournament.

The three actresses who play the moms (Amanda Card McCoy, Brittany Nelson, and Nancy Whitehead) have a terrific onstage rapport, and if some of the jokes early on in the show seem a bit clichéd, it pays to grin and bear it—because at the heart of this comedy lie some big laughs and fundamental truths about motherhood that will hit home with any mom—soccer- or otherwise.

Super-organized PTO mom/Volunteer/Cupcake-Maker-in-Chief Lynn (played by Brittany Nelson) serves up some of the show’s funniest punch lines, and Nelson’s face when she describes a certain “trade agreement” reached with her husband (I won’t give it away) is well worth the ticket price alone. 

“Secrets” makes a great mother’s night out—but you'll have to hurry—there are only five performances left. Visit www.twtp.org for tickets and information.

--Amanda O’Brien