Judy Kaye to Star in Industry Reading of GRINDR MOM

Two-Time Tony Award Winner Judy Kaye will star in an upcoming industry reading of Grindr Mom, the solo play about a conservative Mormon mother opens a Grindr account to better understand her gay son.  Written and directed by Ronnie Larsen, the reading will be held on Tuesday, October 21, at 2:00pm in The Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, 3rd floor. A brief cocktail reception will immediately follow. 
 
What’s a conservative Mormon mother to do when her only son comes out as gay, confesses he’s an atheist, and starts swiping on something called Grindr? For this mom, the answer is obvious: download the app herself. In Grindr Mom, Judy Kaye brings to life a compulsively candid mother who just wants to understand her son, even if that means opening her own account. Between hiding Pepsis from her husband, debating with Siri and Alexa about sexuality, and mistaking “verse bottom” for a choir note, she stumbles into a world of lamp shade fetishes, headless torsos, and more “HappyPigs” than she ever prayed for. As she spirals between laughter and heartbreak, this well-meaning mother wrestles with God, her religion, and her greatest fear - that her son’s eternal soul is lost to damnation. 
 
"Growing up Mornon, there is a lot of my life in the play, even though as far as I know my mother never went on Grindr" says playwright and director Ronnie Larsen. “It's outrageous and funny, but it’s also about a mother’s love and her need to connect with her son.”
 
Grindr Mom premiered at The Foundry in 2019 to rave reviews and won two Carbomel awards for Best New Work and Best Actress. Mindy Leaf of Around Town hailed it as “a show with something for everyone,” praising its sharp humor, emotional honesty, and its ability to resonate with parents and children alike. Florida Theater On Stage called it “a surprisingly funny, subtle and tender story.” The work has since played additional productions, including a celebrated run at Buffalo’s Alleyway Theatre Cabaret in 2022.
 
The creative team behind Grindr Mom includes Ronnie Larsen (Artistic Director), Jeff Walters (Managing Director), Dennis Manning (Board President), Jack Stein (Producer), Joseph Guidetti (Associate Producer/Grants Administrator), Steven Some (Public Relations), Dan Demello (New York Public Relations) and Scott Jordan (Volunteer Coordinator). To RSVP: danielwdemello@gmail.com