The invisible struggle : A Review of Fertile

Heather Dowling Photo by Matt Kamimura

Heather Dowling's Fertile is a real, raw and inspiring story about the struggles of infertility, led by her skillful acting, this gem of a show spreads a message of positivity and hope.

Fertile
Written and performed by Heather Dowling
Directed by jessica lynn johnson
Venue Lounge Theatre (Lounge 2)
6201 Santa Monica Boulevard
Run Time 60 Minutes
Tickets are availble to purchase at http://hff19.org/5858

The vast majority of us grow up accepting that we'll have the option to begin a family when the moment we are prepared. So the extraordinary dissatisfaction and distress that accompany attempting to get pregnant without progress is a massive hit to most couples. The current statistic states that while about 60 percent of couples will get pregnant without medical assistance within their first six months of trying, one in eight couples are struggling with infertility issues. Seven million is around the number of women between fifteen and forty-four in the United States who have difficulty getting and staying pregnant. That's twelve percent of all women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A large portion of us is much too embarrassed (and much too kind) to ask a couple who is battling infertility what their story is. Heather Dowling fearlessly invites us to walk along with Jenny(Heather) and her journey of heartbreak, struggle, and growth.

The story follows Jenny, whose plan is to get pregnant, but when she finds herself hitting a few roadblocks, believing it to be her age as she has just turned thirty-five this show chronicles her struggles about fertility. Jenny faces a myriad of different pregnancy  "options," including but not limited to – freezing her eggs, in-vitro, adoption, and much more. As she tries to reconcile her thoughts with the torrent of external opinions from her mom, her friends, physicians, a beloved neighbor with sage advice – and even God which are all played excellently by Dowling  – Jenny must ultimately look within herself to discover what motherhood truly means, and what it means to be Fertile.

A magnificent, empowering, and accomplished show – Fertile is elegantly composed and skillfully performed by its talented creator, Heather Dowling  recounts a brilliant relatable story all within an hour masterfully switching between multiple characters with ease, this is an important message which can be encouraging to all individuals, not just those who have experienced issues with infertility.

This show has sold out the entirety of its run, stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for an encore, or try for the much coveted wait-list.