Staceyann Chin is a force of sheer determination and will. And she has her sights set on having a baby. With razor-sharp focus, she hunts for a donor, despite the numerous emotional outbursts—fueled by fertility drugs and an acute lack of funds or geothermal insurance. She is both charming and brash, making her vulnerable, likable, and inspiring. She counts on her girlfriends to vent as she hits rough patch after rough patch on her rocky road to motherhood. This role is played by the real-life poet and activist Staceyann Chin, who has appeared in Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and is author of the critically acclaimed memoir, The Other Side of Paradise.
Marta is Staceyann’s zen friend with a heart of gold, sage, and a string of meditation beads to match. A mother of twins who conceived through IVF, she touts the power of mindfulness, coupled with a healthy dose of fertility hormones. Laura Gómez is best known for her role in the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black where she has played Blanca Flores for five seasons.
Gina is no-nonsense and no filter. Wife of Nina, Gina can’t understand why Staceyann wants to become a mother without a partner. With loads of judgment, and a ton of support, she is the jokester who lightens the mood for Staceyann. She also raises the question of whether there is any right road to motherhood. Gina Yashere is an internationally acclaimed stand-up comedian who has appeared in film and television in the US and the UK. Her comedy special The Standups is now available on Netflix.
Nina is attached at the hip to her wife Gina, always seeing the upside of down. The wholesome Nina never waivers in her positive support for Staceyann even though she may doubt her own decisions at times. Nina is played by Janine Brito, the accomplished stand-up comedian who also writes for the FX network.
Staceyann Chin is a force of sheer determination and will stop at nothing to have a baby. She is razor-focused on finding a donor and despite emotional outbursts fueled by fertility drugs, she remains intent on her goal. She is both charming and brash, making her vulnerable, likable, and inspiring. She counts on her girlfriends to vent as she hits rough patch after rough patch on her rocky road to motherhood. This role is played by the real-life poet and activist Staceyann Chin. She has appeared in Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and is author of a New York Times best-selling book.
Marta is Staceyann’s zen friend with a heart of gold and a string of meditation beads to match. She is a mother of twins also conceived through IVF and touts the power of mindfulness coupled with a healthy dose of fertility hormones.
Laura Gómez is best known for her role in the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black where she has played Blanca Flores for five seasons.
Gina is no-nonsense and no filter. Wife of Nina, Gina can’t understand why Staceyann wants to become a mother without a partner. With loads of judgment, and a ton of support, she is the jokester who lightens the mood for Staceyann. She also raises the question of whether there is any right road to motherhood. Gina Yashere is an internationally acclaimed stand-up comedian who has appeared in film and television in the US and the UK. Her comedy special The Standups is now available on Netflix.
Nina is attached at the hip to her wife Gina, always seeing the upside of down. The wholesome Nina never waivers in her support for Staceyann, even when Staceyann herself doubts her own path. Nina is played by Janine Brito, the accomplished stand-up comedian who also writes for the FX network.
Staceyann’s critically acclaimed solo theater piece, MotherStruck, was directed by Cynthia Nixon and produced by Rosie O’Donnell. Staceyann is co-writer of the MotherStruck series with Micaela Birmingham. Staceyann is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, The Other Side of Paradise. She is the recipient of the 2007 Power of the Voice Award from The Human Rights Campaign, the 2008 Safe Haven Award from Immigration Equality, the 2008 Honors from the Lesbian AIDS Project, the 2009 New York State Senate Award, the 2013 American Heritage Award from American Immigration Council, and the 2016 Planned Parenthood Excellence in Media award. She is also a 2017 LGBTQ Humanist Award recipient. She unapologetically identifies as Caribbean and Black, Asian and lesbian, woman and resident of New York City. She was co-writer and an original performer in the Tony award-winning Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. She has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes and has been featured in the New York Times.
Micaela is an Emmy Award-winning writer and director with projects spanning public service, comedy, and branded content. Micaela directed and co-wrote the MotherStruck series. As Head of Studio for Scary Mommy, she oversees the development and production of all original series. With a focus on humor and female empowerment, Scary Mommy video content is viewed nearly 1 billion times per month, reaching more women than any other parenting brand. Micaela’s work has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on CNN and the TEDx stage.
Based on the one-woman play written by Staceyann Chin, MotherStrucktells the story of a lesbian's quest to become a mother with the help of her close friends.
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“There was almost no blueprint for queer women of color to have children, let alone by themselves,” performance artist Staceyann Chin said.
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Staceyann Chin and Micaela Birmingham brings us the true story of a lesbian's quest (played by Chin) to become a mother.
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MotherStruck, created by Staceyann Chin & Micaela Birmingham (USA) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere). The true story of a lesbian’s quest to become a mother. With her closest friends by her side, she embarks on a wild road toward motherhood.
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Watching this short written by and starring Staceyann Chin was perhaps the best 15 minutes of the last couple weeks.
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Series: Motherstruck. Adapted from Staceyann Chin’s own autobiographical one-woman show, Motherstruck follows the true story of one lesbian’s (Chin) quest to become a mother.
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