How Black Mothers Say I Love You

by Trey Anthony

Claudette still can’t forgive her mother, Daphne, for leaving. For six years of her childhood, Claudette and her sister Valerie were left with their grandmother while their mother moved from Jamaica to Canada to start a new chapter for her family. But in that time, Daphne remarried and had another daughter.

Now Montreal-based Claudette is in her late thirties, visiting her dying mother in Toronto, but that doesn’t stop her anger and abandonment issues from bubbling up. It doesn’t stop Daphne from voicing her opinions on how Claudette lives her life, either. With Daphne, Claudette, and Valerie all under one roof again, each family member is forced to confront their emotions while there’s still time.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Family

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2017

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and moving dialogue. I'd love to see it translated onstage.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful exploration of complex family dynamics and intergenerational trauma. Beautifully written!

[Risma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the play for its explorations of queer and racial issues, intergenerational misunderstandings and overall realistic, good dialogue.

What would have made this a 5 star play for me would be to have either:

1- a more interesting, urgent and climactic plot

2- quotes that really stuck out, reflections on the issues at hand that were new to me, poetic characterization or scenery, etc

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Daphne gets terminal cancer, both of her living daughters (and the spirit of her deceased daughter) arrive to take care of her. The play conveys the frustration, tension and sorrow of that situation really well, and the dialogue is convincing and realistic. At times the characters see each other so clearly and then completely misunderstand each other a minute later. It immediately makes the reader/viewer draw parallels to their own experiences of being seen/not seen by their own families.

One of the things I love about Trey Anthony is that she really gets women and where they store their power...even in terrible situations. In this way, both HBMSILY and Da Kink in my Hair are great plays for women (especially) about women. A well-structured play and I really love the parenthetical information Anthony includes for her actors’ delivery.

There is also a largely unspoken commentary in the play about domestic servants in Canada’s recent history and how many women who came (and still come) to Canada can do so only by leaving their children behind.

A great play!

[Kahmal Sealey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'm unfairly judging this play against a few behemoth playwrights such as Lynn Nottage & Dominique Morisseau - but I just felt like it missed the mark for me.

The concept was both true-to-life, a Christian mother moving from Jamaica and then subsequently sending for her children, and personal, the oldest daughter being gay (& the prayers/denial that ensue from her mother), but it didn't feel like the play was going anywhere and the ending scene was a tad lacklustre in my opinion.

There were definitely a few moments, especially when Claud was confronted and told to pay attention to all the things their mother sacrificed for them, but again, it didn't feel like a linear 'fly-on-the-wall', it felt like we were taken from one moment to the next.

Also a personal irk of mine is when a character is written speaking perfect English, then suddenly starts speaking in Patois for the 'most obvious phrases'/written wrongly. It feels forced as opposed to genuine

[Nabeeha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school and really liked it.

Claudette’s Mommy / abandonment issues are sooo valid but Valerie brings up a lot of good points. If Claudette could acknowledge the good things her mom did, then her argument would be unbeatable. And she would be like even more more valid.

I hate that motherhood brought them together. Lameeeeee

[Kar20 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

This was excellent. I loved the dialogue.

[Frederike · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you want to divine into all the facets of motherhood, dive into Trey Anthony's play How Black Mothers Say I Love You, you will be made to think long and hard

[Ishana Kaur · Rating 1 out of 5]

So corny, Cloe hovers around as a ghost. It just abruptly ends the tension at the end of the book by Daphne remembering a Biblical story Claudette liked. Really?

[Gareth Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really well structured, complex family dynamic.
The gay themes are handled well throughout the play, although the last scene seems a little unearned.
I like that Daphne never dies, and tells Cloe to move on without her.
The ending seems like everyone is just coming to a new beginning which I love.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about an immigrant mother from Jamaica who becomes estranged from her young children when she comes to the US to work as a nanny. This story explores the aftermath of that decision, and how the family reconciles in the months leading up to the mother’s death. I wish I could have rated this higher, but I think I just don’t like reading plays. I couldn’t feel the characters’ emotions, empathize with them, etc. I imagine if I was seeing this live though, my experience of the story might be quite different.

[marina · Rating 1 out of 5]

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[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Simple, yet complex. Perfect. Beautifully done. While there are elements of race and sexual orientation that play important role in understanding characters and family dynamics, the underlying emotions, arguments, and expressions of love are universal. I read the play and could easily envision it unfolding on stage in front of me.


Reread: I forgot how beautiful this was.