Conversations with Mother
by Matthew Lombardo

Off-Broadway

Conversations with Mother Book Cover — Conversations with Mother Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

90 minsPresent DayUnit Set/Multiple SettingsContemporary Costumes/Street ClothesComedy

Synopsis

Growing up isn’t easy – especially with a strong-willed, Italian-American mother keeping tabs on your every move.

Free-spirited Bobby has a knack for getting into trouble, and his mother, Maria, never hesitates to offer her opinion, like it or lump it.

As he comes of age and builds a life for himself in New York City as a struggling playwright – is there any other kind?

– Maria is always there with a phone call or check-in, following her mother’s intuition.

And when Bobby begins to seek independence as a gay man, Maria stretches her own beliefs to support him.

Through learning curves, life’s complications and hard-won victories, their love for each other holds plenty of laughs and a few tears, but most importantly, never diminishes.

An unsettling yet tender comedy that traces the relationship between an Italian-American mother and her son over the course of five decades.

Press Reviews

"Both sweet and tender, noisy and unsettling... [this play] is an entertaining, often touching two-hander about a combative relationship between a troubled gay man and his aggressively obnoxious but deeply devoted mother that spans five decades."
— Observer

"Matthew Lombardo’s excellent two-hander speaks volumes about life, liberty and the often impossible pursuit of happiness."
— New York Stage Review

"Conversations with Mother is a laugh-out-loud funny, sharply insightful, and deeply touching tribute to the complex, close-knit, cherished connection between a parent and child."
— DC Theater Arts

"This play is for anyone who’s ever had an overbearing mother, an identity crisis, or just needed someone to tell them they’re doing okay."
— Rob Shuter on Substack

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Bobby Collavechio Plays ages 8-65. Son. Handsome, masculine yet boyish. Dependent on his mother’s approval and support. Constantly getting into trouble. A free spirit. Irresponsible and rudderless. Behind his attractive front lies a dark and unsettling insecurity.	female	8-65	Plays ages 8-65. Son. Handsome, masculine yet boyish. Dependent on his mother’s approval and support. Constantly getting into trouble. A free spirit. Irresponsible and rudderless. Behind his attractive front lies a dark and unsettling insecurity.
Maria Collavechio Plays ages 37-76. Mother. Co-dependently obsessed and involved in the life of her youngest son. Opinionated. Strong-willed. Affectionate yet tough. A survivor and a fixer. Although she exhibits a hard facade, there is an underlying and surprising vulnerability.	female	37-76	Plays ages 37-76. Mother. Co-dependently obsessed and involved in the life of her youngest son. Opinionated. Strong-willed. Affectionate yet tough. A survivor and a fixer. Although she exhibits a hard facade, there is an underlying and surprising vulnerability.