Borrowed Babies

Hailey Conrad

Women Writing Worldwide

Event Attendance & Response 

February 19, 2020

HPU Theater Presents: Borrowed Babies

★  What event did you attend? Briefly describe it. 

I was privileged with attending the first dress rehearsal of Borrowed Babies for my digital photography course because my professor Benita VanWinkle has previously been the photographer for the High Point University theater. Barrowed Babies is based around early feminism and women’s history. The lead Judy is coming upon the end of her teaching career as a home economics professor, when she comes in cross paths with one of her former practice babies. In this time period, infants were often plucked from orphanages and used as practice babies in college home economic departments because this was the prominent role of “women” and seen as there only possible role in life; being a homemaker and taking care of their family. Therefore, Judy’s stuck in the mindset where she must teach her students this role while her students have other aspiration for life, such as moving to New York City to follow their passions like fashion. In the end, Judy is defeated when she wants to adopt the child, they have been taking care of because she does not have a husband. This play overall explores the evolving role of women and mothers in American society. 

★  What particular moments / parts of the event caught your attention or interested you? 

            I was extremely shocked when Judy was trying to conceal Wendy’s past in the department. At first, I was wondering why she didn’t want to share the files with Wendy… But once I realized that Wendy had been one of the infants who were used in this home economic program in the past. I couldn’t believe that she had returned to ask about her birth parents after about thirty years and then found out that she was basically an “college experiment.” It also caught my attention at the fact that at the end, through all Judy’s struggles, she could not adopt the child because she was a single woman, with no husband. I think the idea behind this was that she would not have enough income to sustain proper living conditions for the child since she is a single parent. 

★  Did any aspect of the event prompt you to recall or think about what we’ve been learning in the course? How and why? 

            Honestly, I drew connections throughout the entire play to our course Women’s Writing Worldwide. The course is focused around the idea of the lack of women equality around the globe. First most, this production is a solely a female role play. Borrowed Babies plays on the aspect that women have one role in life; to be a home maker, cook, and take care of their family. This is depicted as Judy teaches her students how to care for an infant in their home economics class. Additionally, during the event Judy explains how she cannot make any change at the institution because she is only one of three female professors. This connects how women have been known to have less of influence and authority compared to males. To go along with this concept, at the end of the play Judy, being single women, wants to adopt the infant they have been practicing with and taking care of in the home economics course. Unfortunately, Judy is unable to adopt the child due to the fact that she does not have a husband. Again, this idea is emphasizing gender equality and gender norms. Due to the fact that Judy does not have a spouse, it is interpreted that she will not be able to take care of a family without structured income, highlighting the idea that women can’t succeed in both roles, as a wife and husband would. I defiantly also recall connecting Betty’s parents saying that if she moved to New York she would fail and be seen as a slut, just because she was not following the traditional path of becoming a homemaker. This just shows that girls had one path that was the social norm and everything else was viewed poorly. Lastly, I noted that when the senior girl got engaged, she explained how she wanted to work. The other girls then asked her if she had already asked her fiancé if he would allow her to work. This again proves the gender norms during the time, that women were meant to stay home and be a homemaker, while men worked and made the money. 

★  What is the big “takeaway” for you from the event? What will you remember about it? 

This is one of those productions that you think about days after viewing. I think one of the main takeaways for me is that women and men have become much more equal, especially in regard to careers and jobs. In today’s day and age, women can virtually do anything men can, whereas in older times, these gender roles had not been challenged. The over-arching idea of rising feminism has gotten the many parts of the world to weaken gender roles. I will remember just how drastic times have changed, from a time of when women were not allowed basic rights to today’s society.