Mothers of children in military share their true stories in play 'My Child: Mothers of War'

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Thursday, April 30, 2015
Mothers of children in military share their true stories in play 'My Child: Mothers of War'
A new play in Hollywood tells the true stories of mothers whose lives were changed when their sons and daughters were sent to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A new play reminds us about the families waiting at home for their loved ones, who happen to be soldiers serving overseas.

"My Child: Mothers of War," gives people a chance to look at the lives of six American mothers who tell the stories in their own words.

"I love this material because it means something," said actress Frances Fisher, who leads the ensemble cast. "And to speak the words of real life human beings who've been through this experience is a great honor, and we all are here to honor them."

The play is based on an award-winning documentary of the same name by Angeliki Giannakopoulos. It tells the true stories of mothers whose lives were changed forever when their sons and daughters were sent to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This is not something that's been out there through generations about mothers. And so to be recognized and say 'we hear your story and we know what you've done,' I think would be very cathartic and comforting," actress Monique Edwards said.

The honest words represent mothers with differing opinions. But they all share one thing in common: the unconditional love for their children.

Fisher believes the collective experience of live theater is the perfect venue to share these kind of stories.

"There's nothing like going into a theater with a group of strangers and sharing a laugh, or a private tear, looking across and catching somebody's eye, and sharing that experience and then walking out as a community, as friends," she said.

"My Child: Mothers of War" runs at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday nights through May 31.