THE MOMMIES: THE LAST TRIMESTER Begins At The Marsh Berkeley In May
Performed by Caryl Kristensen and Marilyn Kentz, The Mommies: The Last Trimester will run May 1 - July 24, 2025.
By: A.A. Cristi Apr. 16, 2025
The Marsh Berkeley to present the hilarious folie à deux from national television stars Caryl Kristensen and Marilyn Kentz: The Mommies: The Last Trimester, a wild ride from cul de sac, to Hollywood, and back again.
In this effervescent play, Caryl and Marilyn, from Sonoma County, reflect on their notoriously hysterical duo act and the trials that went into their two television shows. Indulging audiences in all the juicy details, the pair onstage explores the joys of aging in show business in a warm-hearted journey home. The Mommies: The Last Trimester promises an unforgettable adventure celebrating fame, family, and the humor in between.
Performed by Caryl Kristensen and Marilyn Kentz, The Mommies: The Last Trimester will run May 1 - July 24, 2025 (press opening: June 12) with performances at 7pm Thursdays at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA. Tickets ($30-$40 general admission sliding scale, $50 and $100 reserved) and more information is available at themarsh.org.
Kristensen and Kentz' first foray into the national spotlight was through their starring roles in the NBC sitcom "The Mommies" (1993 - 1995), loosely based on their real-life personas raising families in Petaluma, California. The show received critical accolades, including Variety which dubbed Kristensen and Kentz "talented comedians with an eye for the absurd," and ran for two seasons. The Mommies continued their duo act with an hour-long daytime talk/variety show Caryl and Marilyn: Real Friends, that aired on ABC (1996 -1997). They also presented their duo comedy onstage in Los Angeles, where it was lauded by the Los Angeles Times as "terrific entertainment," "colorful and observant," affirming Kristensen and Kentz "know how to put on a show."
ABOUT THE CAST AND CREATIVES
Caryl Kristensen (Performer) is an artist, woodworker, farmer, and educator. After working in the entertainment industry, traveling the country and visiting colleges for fun, she became a college counselor. She worked in a private high school before co-founding LikeLive software, an online tool that gave students an opportunity to interview via video as part of their college application process. Kristensen then co-founded an independent college counseling practice.
Marilyn Kentz (Performer) is an artist, an author, a comedian, a grandmother, and an all-around fearless woman. Kentz is a three-time published author and one-time television personality. Kentz' books include The Motherload, Not Your Mother's Midlife, and Fearless Women. Her 2010 - 2014 stage show, Will I Ever Wear a Bikini Again? was a hit, exploring the aging process from the satisfaction of pulling that pesky chin hair to surviving empty nests.
ABOUT THE MARSH
The Marsh is known as "a breeding ground for new performance." Launched in 1989 by Founder and Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman, it annually hosts more than 500 performances across the company's two venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. A leading outlet for solo performers, The Marsh's specialty has been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "solo performances that celebrate the power of storytelling at its simplest and purest." The East Bay Times named The Marsh one of the Bay Area's best intimate theaters, calling it "one of the most thriving solo theaters in the nation. The live theatrical energy is simply irresistible." In April 2020, The Marsh launched its digital platform MarshStream and hosted more than 700 live streams which provided 300 performers and its youth class participants a platform to continue discovering, developing, and producing art during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. Today, The Marsh presents both in-person live performances and content on its MarshStream, continuing to expand its reach to audiences onsite and around the world. The Marsh believes in the power of people's storytelling and has several classes for the public to create their own works as well as through its developing work performance series: Monday Night Marsh, Tell It on Tuesday, and Marsh Risings. The theater company also collaborates with over 25 San Francisco public schools providing a year-round youth program serving students at its theater and in the classrooms.
San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)
17.4% of votes
2.
THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)
8.3% of votes
3.
SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)
8.1% of votes
Videos