Trans-Parent Love

written and performed by Maureen Muldoon

Directed by Megan Wells 

Click here to listen to the Joyful Courage Podcast

The goal of Trans-Parent Love is to help promote conversations that get people talking about the questions, concerns, and commonalities we have with each other about navigating change, gender, and transformation. In our current culture, our children are leading a revolution of honesty, bravery, and transparency that is both beautiful and baffling for parents and family members.

When a person identifies as trans-gender, they have had this internal conversation for quite some time. Like any change in plans, it can provoke anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and ultimately acceptance and PRIDE.

I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the transformation not just of my son but of other parents who are walking this interesting road with me. Caterpillars, sand, and coal transform into butterflies, pearls, and diamonds, but not without a few labor pains. That in and of itself can be stressful, add to it the toxicity of our current climate, and we can begin to see why 52% of all transgender and nonbinary young people in the U.S. contemplate suicide.
Having someone to talk to and a family or community willing to make space for the conversation can help. As I do this show, I realize the full spectrum of the word “transparency” and the healing that it offers. When you begin to turn the lights on… you get to see some really beautiful things.
Love, Maur

NEWS:

PRIDE SOURCE Article

Guest Blogs

PRODUCTIONS in 2022

May 14th,  7 pm at Unity of Lansing  2395 Washington Road, Lansing, MI 48911 517.371.3010  Tickets available at the door. $20 per adult $10. for students and seniors.  A community conversation will take place after the show.

June 12th, The Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60613

June 24th, Saturday night show and community conversation, plus a VIP meet and greet.  Raising funds for New Pride Agenda work on GENDA (gender non-discrimination act) implementation in NYS   Tusten Theater, Narrowsburg, NY

PAST  PRODUCTIONS

Trans-Parent Love was first produced October 2019 for an eight-week run at the Madison Street theater in Oak Park, IL

Jan. 17th it was an Official Selection for the White Fire Theatre Solo-fest in Los Angeles

Jan. 27th Sarasolo-Fest Sarasota, Florida WINNER! BEST IN SHOW and Best Actress

Feb. 11th Show and community conversation at Lansing, Michigan Unity Spiritual Center

Feb. 13th Show and conversation at Chicago Greenhouse Theatre

August 21st 2019 Madeline Island Library, WI Presented by Madeline Island, Show, and community conversation.

February 2020 Grosse Pointe Michigan show to raise funds and awareness for Grosse Point P-flag. Show and community conversation. Rebecca Tull is the point person.

March 8th, At 1 pm Hinsdale Unitarian Church, 17 W. Maple Street, Hinsdale, Il 60521 Tickets available at the door. $20 per adult $10. for students and seniors.  A community conversation will take place after the show.

April 3rd, St Louis, Centers for Spiritual Living. The Spiritual Vixen’s Bookclub hosted the following day.

June 22nd,  Library Madeline Island, WI

July 11th, Saturday performance, The Cooperage in Honesdale, PA

REVIEWS!

This wonderful new work is written and performed by Maureen Muldoon, an actress who presents a very heartfelt, touching and often hilarious monologue that goes back and forth in time but is always fascinating and uplifting. Muldoon is strongly directed by Megan Wells, who helps this talented actress realize her authentic voice. The autobiographical show makes for a very delightful evening.

Muldoon has an impressive range. She’s expressive, with a level of intimacy that makes you almost feel she’s talking directly to you. Frank, seemingly effortless flow of dialogue that makes up this brave piece of dramatic work, which is an hour-long exploration of the outcomes when a child changes gender.

Muldoon, an inspirational speaker, storyteller, and Hollywood actress for several decades, has no difficulty connecting with the audience in this intimate performance space. She’s quirky and amusing, often sharing difficult stories from her background.

Trans-Parent Love, a dynamic solo performance by Maureen Muldoon, is strongly performed and directed. I was expecting this autobiographical work to be ponderous and sad but it’s not. It’s full of humor and warmth while showing the resilience and strength of the human spirit. – Doug Deuchler, OakPark.com

Maureen Muldoon’s witty, upbeat one-woman show ‘Trans-Parent Love’ exhibits generous spirit, on-point insight, and even a few good laughs. – The Tolucan Times, California

A professional actress and a natural storyteller, she’s capable of creating a very personal story that opens up and becomes an ongoing harrowing adventure with still unknown endings.  She’s a mom whose 14-year-old, also very smart and very brave, has announced through a sign on her bedroom door that she is actually he.

In less capable hands, this odyssey in staged spoken word could easily spell disaster. It could slide into cliché or become mired in sentimentality.  Here it bristles with intellect, embraces the unknown, finds electric joy in humor and trusts the future.  It’s also like a fist sheathed in velvet pounding on iron demanding action.

In these doubting quivery times, when so many question whether their individual efforts bear any consequence, the power of one has the scent of a deceptive premise.  How appropriate that, in this case, the reality of that power comes in the form of a mother. – Mitchell Oldham, City Pleasures

Trans-Parent Love succeeds at showing how parenting is also a process of sometimes-messy, but absolutely necessary, transformations for the future achieved through confronting the past. Maureen Muldoon is a captivating storyteller. – Kerry Reid, Windy City

it with an hour’s worth of rambling musings, mixed with song and some performance poetry. Muldoon brings a self-effacing charm to this tale.- Jack Helbig, Chicago Reader.

A beautiful exercise in bravery being re-enacted just about every weekend this month. In her “attempt to tell the truth about love”, Ms. Muldoon gave everyone present one giant gift. A gift that came with a directive: to use your voice. – Mitchell Oldham, City Pleasures

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

Maureen Muldoon belts out a story through her professional singing voice, her tongue twisting poetry rapidly and perfectly fired from her machine gun of a mouth, and her rubber-face-enhanced emotional flips going from giddy to the grave in mere hundredths of a second. – Paul Meyer

Maureen is a triple threat… an amazing playwright, a marvelous actress, an important new lyricist, storyteller, poet and she sings! The audience interrupted the piece with applause. The story took our breath away. – Raymond Wohl

This show is amazing. I’ve seen it twice and I don’t see anything twice unless of course, I forgot I saw it. And that technically wouldn’t be twice right? But this is not the case here. And I’m actually going again. Wanna join me? – Jodi Murphy

Opening night – amazing One Woman Show! Go see Maureen Muldoon, master storyteller, she will have you laughing, crying, smiling! So worth a short drive to Oak Park! Check it out! –Pam Bosse

Absolutely Phenomenal! If you weren’t able to come to the St. Louis, but have another chance to see Maureen’s one-woman show, don’t miss it!! I laughed, I cried, I felt love and I felt pain. All that from one woman on a stage by herself with 2 props. It was an experience I won’t forget.~ Barbara Goodman Siegel

Maureen is so amazing for speaking to the truth and creating the moment and the emotions so vividly that when her eyes tear up you are right there with her…teary eyed and in wonder of how does a mother walk into that room… awesome and amazing performance! – Carol Gadbaw

The opening show tonight with  Maureen Muldoon. Brilliant, vulnerable, raw, real and funny. A must see! -Laura Savita Joachim

Very talented writer and performer who perfectly combines keen observations with honesty and wit. –Cindy Blank

What a powerful, thought-provoking, heart-tugging one-woman show written and performed by Maureen Muldoon. I attended the final performance of the run of “Big Giant Love” at the Madison Street Theater. If you missed it, for goodness sake – be on the lookout for the video at MaureenMuldoon.Com! The icing on the cake when her son Ryan came out at the end to sing and play an original song!- Kim Car Meredith

Rob and I saw Maureen Muldoon’s one-woman show this afternoon, and it was moving, inspiring, and thought-provoking. It touched our hearts as great art should. We highly recommend this show…. it’s not to be missed!

Don’t miss this show! Maureen’s talent, courage, humor, and wisdom will knock your socks off! So happy to share this brilliant experience with my daughters. Go see it, everyone! –Elizabeth Keats

This is a part of the coming out process that we don’t hear much about and yet is just as much a part of the experience. Maureen Muldoon presents her story in the context of all life stories: positioned between the generation that preceded her and the one that will follow – and how intertwined they are – echoing and influencing each other in ways that cannot always be predicted or controlled. I so deeply appreciated her willingness to be this honest- an inspiration and affirmation that change can and often only happens through courageous humility and vulnerability. GIANT LOVE SONG is amazing!  Go see it while you can! -Rachel Anna

What a beautiful performance! –Editha Paras

Bravo brave one. Keep leading the way with love and tolerance. –Maureen Anne Claffy

Incredible play and performance. Unforgettable. Thank you, Maureen Muldoon, for your courage, vulnerability and giant heart!- Jennie Landfield

Saw Big Giant Love tonight starring Maureen Muldoon! * Impassioned * Funny * Moving * An interwoven timeless story that left me wanting to know more about Maureen’s Big Giant Love story. –  Carol C C Miller

We had the pleasure of seeing this one-woman performance at the Madison Street Theatre. – Oak Park. Go see it!  A myriad of emotions beautifully flowing from Maureen showing her vulnerable side, and also showing that you can survive and thrive when you do.

She’s a great actress, storyteller, a powerful but gentle being in the world. Did I say to go see it!? Go. Only one weekend left!! Don’t walk, run. — Janet Kane

What a moving performance by Maureen Muldoon – a one-woman show called ‘Big Giant Love’ at Madison Street Theatre in Oak Park, IL. My heart was deeply touched by her vulnerable expression. Go see it yourself: – Elsbeth Meuth

Wonderful night! Fantastic show!-Jamie Webster Dubrovay