'Adventures in Parenting' Onstage at Landmark Academy Monday Night

If they're truthful, parents will readily admit that raising children brings out the best and the worst parts of their personalities. At any given time, the experience can be simultaneously poignant and loving, and frustrating and anxiety-producing. Moreover, because children are ever-changing, a parent's life is always moving forwarding, trying to keep up with their offspring's various physical, emotional and mental developments. One of the many traits that people with children have in common, though, is that they love to talk about their little ones. Ironically, this begins while the babies are still in utero and actually never ends, even when grandchildren are born.

With this in mind, several first-time storytellers joined veterans in sharing their personal experience at the "Adventures in Parenting" presentation held Monday night, Sept. 19 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The show is produced by Ina Chadwick's MouseMuse Productions in partnership with Landmark Academy.

 "What could be more fun than sharing our parenting stories?" said Siobhan Streams, administrator of Landmark Academy in Westport. Streams first learned about Chadwick's storytelling productions from a school parent, Joe Limone, who is an award-winning, master storyteller. Limone will be appear in Monday's show. 

Wanting to find out what storytelling was all about, Streams attended a few MouseMuse events sponsored by the Westport Arts Center. "It was so creative and fabulous," Streams enthused. She then approached Chadwick about featuring a night of storytelling for the Westport preschool's annual Fall get together.

 "It's important for parents to be able to connect with other so we always host a social event at the beginning of the year," Streams explained. "And, if you're a parent, you automatically have something in common with each other."

Streams is confident that MouseMuse's production will not only be entertaining but that it will also reinforce to people that they are not the only ones experiencing the ups and downs that accompany parenthood. "I think it's going to be a tremendous relief for some parents to hear these stories," Streams said. "They're going to see that they're not alone and that others have had similar experiences. Sometimes parents feel that they have to be perfect but part of being a parent is that sometimes you don't get it right."

Rebecca Toon, Landmark Academy's administrative assistant and computer teacher, will be getting onstage for the first time to recount a story about a valuable lesson she learned from her then six-year old daughter. "It was a difficult time in our lives and my daughter helped me to reconnect with my own personal fairy tale," Toon said. Without giving away too much of the heartfelt recitation, Toon explained that growing up in a broken home, she had always gravitated towards the magic of Disney as a way to escape some of life's harsh realities. Her favorite Disney princess is Belle from "Beauty and the Beast," Toon admitted, because the character is an avid lover of books, as she is.

Toon's story discusses a quest to purchase a tiara. Chadwick explained that all of the stories evoke different emotions. "We have several male storytellers," she said. "One man, who is in an 'un-amicable divorce' situation tells about how his daughter's blanket, named 'Yellow,' was lost in a move."

Blake Schnirring, of Norwalk, tells "a poignant, funny story" about how paying $800 out-of-pocket expenses so that her child could be born in a fancy, metropolitan hospital only to 'escape' with her husband and newborn a day early in a snow storm from the medical facility that was lacking in amenities, such as heat. "This is our 'first baby' story," Chadwick noted.

Renowned photographer Suzanne Sheridan, of Westport, is the only storyteller who is not a parent. "Coming from a big Irish family, she talks about what it was like to parent her siblings," Chadwick said. Partnering with Gabi Coatsworth, who is the show's master of ceremonies, and Bill Bosch, Chadwick heard numerous inspiring and often hilarious tales about parenting during the auditions. "We've already had so much fun," she noted.

"Adventures in Parenting" is open to the public. Tickets are $20 and include refreshments. Reservations are strongly suggested. Landmark Academy is located at 11 Burr Road, Westport. For more information, email ina@mousemuse.com. l