Welcome to Yo' Mama! This play owes its inspiration to many people. First, to my beloved son Travis, whose wondrous and exuberant life has taught me that I cannot take one second for granted. After Travis was born, I realized that writing plays and attending rehearsals was going to be much more challenging as I took on my new role as Mom.

I began to engage in conversations with other mothers on this topic, women who were also trying to reconfigure their lives (and bodies) post-baby. I met many of these moms in Sheila Caffrey's pre- and post-natal yoga classes in Pittsburgh, PA. In her classes, Sheila created a safe and magical place for women to exchange information, anxieties, and inspirations about motherhood. I was in awe at the stories that were shared as we moved our way through yoga postures and trimesters. I owe a tremendous debt to Sheila and the women of these classes for sharing their energy and stories with me. Yo' Mama! is my ode to them. Because of them, the women of Yo' Mama! are sexy, bitter, funny, optimistic, talented, strong, vivacious mammas! Yo' Mama! recognizes and celebrates the rich diversity of women who call themselves mothers and honors each and every one of you.

The play is also an experiment in theatrical storytelling. I am so grateful to my creative partner on this project, Mary Miller, who has collaborated with me to create a theatrical piece of continuous movement. The characters, as their names imply, are active women, constantly moving and changing. As any mom will attest, mothers are rarely still. In mothering we are constantly on the go, always multitasking. Likewise, in yoga, we move continually from one posture into the next. It is this fluidity that we have tried to capture on stage.

And finally, this play is dedicated to my partner in parenting, my husband David. Many people have asked, how I could have found time to write (and direct) a play during the first year of motherhood. It would never have been possible without the love and support of a great partner who understood and believed in this project and me one hundred percent. Thank you for the encouragement and for helping me to find time to create Yo' Mama!

- Heather

Special Thanks To Our parents, our partners, our children. Also to Sheila Caffrey, Elizabeth Reiss, Ellen Gross, Stephanie Batiste, Mara Rago, Suzan Falvey, Liz Atkinson, Leah Milcarek, Delanie Jenkins, Caryn Rubinoff, Cara Tomlinson, Kara Jones, Lauren Urbschat, Jennifer Zimmerman, Adrienne Wehr, Lillian Thomas, Mind Over Media, City Theatre, Peter Kope, the amazing cast of Yo'Mama and the extraordinary Mary Miller for donating their time and talents to the creation of this project.