Artist's son uses her words to examine motherhood in new Texas Performing Arts show

Judah Lang, right, rehearses for the "Motherhood" performance at the McCullough Theatre on Thursday. The show, written by his mother Suzanne Bocanegra, seen at left, is presented as a slide lecture.(Lorianne Willett / KUT News)On the stage at McCullough Theatre, a mother whispers words for her son to repeat aloud. A giant screen displaying images of traditional housewives, strange foods and mother figures flashes behind them. This isn’t just a childhood lesson or a quiet exchange between parent and child. It’s a rehearsal for Motherhood, a new performance piece by artist Suzanne Bocanegra commissioned in part by Texas Performing Arts.The show, which premieres Friday and Saturday, explores motherhood as a political state of being, examining everything from the history of orphanages and infertility to the ways society historically values raising children. Bocanegra uses the "voice-in-ear" technique to feed lines to her real-life son, actor Judah Lang, who repeats them to the audience.Suz