The production of “Borrowed Babies” by Jennifer Blackmer tells the story of Judy London as she reflects on her time as a Home Economics Professor. It takes place in 1982, with constant flashbacks to the 1950s. Throughout the 1950’s Mrs. London brought in orphaned babies to be used as “practice babies” in her Home Economics house. London, and four other women lived in the house and alternated their responsibilities. Cooking, cleaning, caring for the baby, and being a teacher’s assistant at an elementary school were all tasks that the young women were expected to complete.
The play opens up showing Mrs. London cleaning out her “practice home” with one of her students. The building is being torn down, so that a new computer lab can be built. Mrs. London seems to be drained and disconnected from the program that she had been building for over 30 years. While she is packing, she is approached by a woman named Wendy Kirk. Wendy is in search of her birth parents and was sent to Mrs. London. Wendy is unaware that she is an orphan, and that she was used as a “practice baby” in one of Mrs. London’s Home Economics houses. As Wendy begins to uncover the truth, she becomes infuriated with Mrs. London and her practices. Throughout this conflict, that play flashes back to 1952 and introduces that audience to the four young women that took care of Wendy (Katherine) when she was an infant.
Betty, Bernie, Louise, and Vera are all senior home economics majors completing their final project before they graduate. Throughout the play the women decide what they want to do after college. They are all strongly influenced by their family upbringing and values. Some of them women plan on getting married, while others want to move to New York and pursue art.
Throughout the entire play, there is a theme of male dominancy. One of the young women, Bernie, wants to move to New York City after graduation. She wants to live on her own, and find a job fixing appliances. When telling her parents her plans, she is told by her father that only “sluts” and “loose” women live in New York City without a man. Her father explains that if she decides to go to New York City that she will not be welcome to come home. Bernie falls to her father’s threat and decides to stay home after graduation. The Misogynistic views of Bernie’s father ultimately shape Bernie’s life choices. It is clear that she is unhappy with her decision, but she just cannot seem to go against the wishes of her father.
One part of the play that I found interesting was Mrs. London’s monologue describing the fall of the Home Economics program. She describes how women no longer want to care for the home. Women were earning degrees in law and business, only to be employed as receptionists under men. Mrs. London wanted women to see the value in Home Economics. Building and running a successful home is extremely difficult, but because it is seen as “women’s work” it is valued less. This is a perspective that I have never looked at or understood.
Overall, I thought this was a great play and recommend it to anyone. It was amazing how such a small cast of women could paint such a large picture. As a young woman in college, it was interesting to see the perspective of a female student in the 1950s.
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