How Black Mothers Say I Love You
by Trey Anthony

Name: How Black Mothers Say I Love You
Brand: Trey Anthony
SKU: 9780573708336
Rating: 3.78 (1 reviews)

How Black Mothers Say I Love You Book Cover — How Black Mothers Say I Love You Cover

Highlights

Female

120 mins Present Day Role(s) for Black Actor(s) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Awards & Recognition

Lambda Award for Drama

Synopsis

Hard-working Daphne left her two young daughters in Jamaica for six years to create a better life for them in America.

Now, 30 years later, proud and private, Daphne is relying on church and her nearby dutiful daughter to face a health crisis.

But when feisty activist Claudette arrives unexpectedly from far away to help out, her arrival stirs up the buried past, family ghosts and the burning desire for unconditional love before it’s too late.

Press Reviews

"Anthony plumbs this generational trauma to create a story of poignant truth about racism, colonialism, and their effect on the family… Trey Anthony is a national treasure."
— Mooney on Theatre

"She's especially adept at switching from the serious to the comic in a few lines, and the audience reacts audibly to certain revelations as well as to the play's moments of intensity and humour."
— NOW Magazine

"Powerful and touching... As the title indicates, of course, one of the play’s themes explores alternate expressions of love, whether it’s leaving the ham bone out of the stewed peas for one’s vegetarian offspring, or finding the perfect hat for a fashion-challenged daughter to wear to church."
— Ottawa Citizen

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Claudette Thirty-seven years old, a social worker, and a social activist. She is Daphne’s eldest daughter. She’s a pretty tomboy type who often wears a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans, occasionally she wears red lipstick.	female	—	Thirty-seven years old, a social worker, and a social activist. She is Daphne’s eldest daughter. She’s a pretty tomboy type who often wears a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans, occasionally she wears red lipstick.
Valerie Thirty-five years old, married into money, but “works” at her husband’s office. She is Daphne’s middle daughter. She is pretty and tends to be a bit stiff and proper. She values tradition and the proper way of doing things. She tends to dress like Michelle Obama. She is the peacemaker of the family, and thus often has a nervous energy about her.	female	—	Thirty-five years old, married into money, but “works” at her husband’s office. She is Daphne’s middle daughter. She is pretty and tends to be a bit stiff and proper. She values tradition and the proper way of doing things. She tends to dress like Michelle Obama. She is the peacemaker of the family, and thus often has a nervous energy about her.
Cloe Daphne’s youngest child. She is “dead,” yet her spirit remains a constant presence in the house. Cloe is seen mainly by Daphne but felt by everyone. Cloe died when she was ten years old from sickle-cell anemia.	female	—	Daphne’s youngest child. She is “dead,” yet her spirit remains a constant presence in the house. Cloe is seen mainly by Daphne but felt by everyone. Cloe died when she was ten years old from sickle-cell anemia.
Daphne Fifty-four-year-old former domestic worker from Jamaica. She has terminal cancer. She is a very religious woman. She’s known for being a bit dramatic and loves to tell a good story; however, she is also a very private and proud woman.	female	—	Fifty-four-year-old former domestic worker from Jamaica. She has terminal cancer. She is a very religious woman. She’s known for being a bit dramatic and loves to tell a good story; however, she is also a very private and proud woman.