Psychology & Stage Mothers
How do you define the term "stage mother"?
"Pushy, obnoxious, crazy mothers who force their kids to act, model, or enter beauty contests. Usually turning them into emotionally scared adults who hate their parents."
"Stage moms are strict and demanding, they push and pressure their children towards success and fame, often using intense parenting methods."
"There was a stage mom in my school that literally told the choreographer that her daughter would not be in the back of the group picture when she was in the ensemble. We had closed rehearsals."
"A little crazy, a lottle controlling."
"The person who shepherds you wherever you need to go even if it conflicts with their schedule, who allows you to pursue your dreams, who will defend you until the end because they believe so strongly in your abilities, who sits through auditions and rehearsals and comes to every show to cheer for the one line you have. They often get called crazy or over-involved but I think it comes from a place of faith in the child’s skills and the sense of delusion all parents live in that their kids are the best."
"Someone who supports their child’s passion/hobby with gusto. They are there to praise them, build them up, and push them to better themselves. There is a small chance of them becoming too involved and living vicariously through their child’s life, which can lead to an overbearing/controlling feeling when they come into the room."
"Stage Mom: a person who supports their kid in their creative pursuit, sometimes a bit extra. At times the person becomes more vested in the outcomes of their perceived definition of success to the detriment of the child."
"Living vicariously through your kid’s lives as performers to a toxic degree."
"One of those parents that might have one or two kids in the production, but is always there for every child’s needs. Usually has snacks and tissues. Very very valuable members of the production. I can name like 10 that I’ve had, and I call them all mom to this day."
"Stage Mother/Father: (noun) 1) a parent who is unaware that their tenacious vicarious pursuit of their child’s hobby without abandon or acknowledgement of reality is to the detriment of the reputation of them both while sometimes allowing the child some success regardless of the child’s talent in limited situations in which the creative team is too unaware, choice-less, or afraid to stand their ground when everyone knows said parent is not someone with healthy boundaries. 2) the most helpful kind of parents who are willing to volunteer their time while everyone else pretends they are too busy to help their weirdo kids who are involved in theatre."
"The parents that rush to the director after their kid doesn’t get the part they wanted. Usually living vicariously through their child but, they’re always there to help sell tickets, fundraise, and sew costumes."
“Stage mother” is more often a pejorative term referring to a mother who inserts herself somewhat obtrusively into her child’s theatrical activities, attempting to influence or increase her child’s roles and exposure onstage, often in a way that is detrimental to productions and other cast members.
"Stage mother: see Mama Rose from “Gypsy”."
Psychology - Potential Psychological Disorders
It is completely possible that Rose may suffer from a mental disorder - although she was never diagnosed with any disorder at the time (the world of psychology has grown exponentially since her time), she certainly showed symptoms of multiple disorders. Beth mentioned a few of these in the Director's Concept meeting, and others include symptoms that Rose shows throughout the show itself.
In case you would like any information on these disorders, syndromes, and symptoms, please explore the links below. These are just for information - the choice of how Rose is portrayed is up to the actor and director.
Bipolar Disorder (specifically Bipolar II) - A manic episode is characterized by extreme happiness, extreme irritability, hyperactivity, little need for sleep and/or racing thoughts, which may lead to rapid speech. People in a manic episode feel like they can do anything, make plans to try and do all those things, and believe that nothing can stop them. A depressive episode is characterized by extreme sadness, a lack of energy or interest in things, an inability to enjoy normally pleasurable activities and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. On average, someone with this condition may have up to three years of normal mood between episodes of mania or depression.
Double Bind on Achievement - This article focuses on the relationship between parents who live vicariously through their children and their children, exploring the double bind on achievement, and how that affects both parties.
Histrionic Personality Disorder - Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is characterized by a long-standing pattern of attention seeking behavior and extreme emotionality. Someone with histrionic personality disorder wants to be the center of attention in any group of people, and they feel uncomfortable when they are not. While often lively, interesting, and sometimes dramatic, they have difficulty when people aren’t focused exclusively on them. People with this disorder may be perceived as being shallow, and may engage in sexually seductive or provocative behavior to draw attention to themselves.