The entry wall of Stephanie Pope Caffey's bedroom is covered with the ephemera of her early Broadway days: an autographed poster of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" with a caricature of Nathan Lane, a tight close up of Pope Caffey's face, staring right into the camera as her arms frame her face. But one in particular stands out: Pope Caffey ebullient in a top hat, her large eyes and smile wide as one of her incredibly long legs extends out, the photographer catching her mid can-can.
Despite the toothy grin and successful shows, Pope Caffey left Broadway behind at 39 to stay at home with her then 1-year-old daughter Mari. Becoming an older mom spurred her decision to leave the limelight behind, ending the “me, me, me, me, me” period being a theater performer often demands, she said.
“The interesting thing about theater performing,” Pope Caffey said, “[is that] you feel young forever. A lot of women in theater forget time is ticking. I am so grateful ... I felt there was not a whole lot more I was able to give. I needed something else in my life; I needed to be fulfilled in another way.
"[When] she turned 1 and I was still performing I said, ‘No, this is not how I want to do this!’” she continued. “I had my child in tow, going from airport to airport, theater to theater. So I said no, it’s time to take a break. And that’s what I did.”
Read more of Stephanie's story and meet these other fabulous mothers at matermea.com.
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