FERTILE.

There is a good reason this is one of the toughest tickets at Fringe to get. That reason is Heather Dowling. The definition of each character is so specific and wonderful. She sets down the gold standard of what a solo performance should be. ... full review

Fertility and sex and related struggles, questions, and fears are all a real part of our lives that most of us don’t talk about, and these are depicted authentically through Heather’s semi-autobiographical performance in FERTILE. The story stays true to Jenny's path without getting sappy or depressing. There is no prescribed single "right answer" for people with (or without) fertility challenges, but rather a thoughtful glimpse into one woman's journey – with great comedic timing and moments of reflection. ... full review

A delightful, funny, and accomplished show - well written and skilfully performed by its charming author, Heather Dowling. It tells a wonderfully relate-able story, and even for those who have not experienced fertility issues, it is something very worth hearing - since you know someone going through it who is not comfortable speaking about it - much like the character in the show.... full review

Great performance by a charismatic and talented woman in a terrific show that does not end the way you think it's going to. Highly recommended! ... full review

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.... full review

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Heather stated that her goal was to start a "conversation on the expectation of procreation" and I felt like her show NAILED IT! ... full review

RECOMMENDED... full review

A topic that is often not discussed, especially by women, is put on the table in this lovely show! Heather did a great job of discussing all of the sides of infertility from the viewpoints of not only the woman herself, but her partner. She also dives straight in to the women who not only make you feel guilty for not having children, but to the women who guilt you FOR having children. She showed the fight that women have to deal with not only with the opposite sex, but within their own gender which is a far bigger fight. The medical side of things is often where the humor set in and we were brought straight back to the sentimental side of things for a great over arching theme of forgiveness of self. ... full review

I can honestly say Fertile was one show in the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival that seemed like a no brainer. Most such must be rolls of the dice, but of course if you know a given performer and their work you walk in with expectations. In this case, my imagination conjured the idea of a realistic and fairly autobiographical one woman show about her attempts to become pregnant. My expectations were not met. I was anything but disappointed. In fact, I was thrilled. Actor/playwright Heather Dowling plays Jenny, a young woman very much like Dowling but with a different set of life details. She wants to have a child, but there seem to be...problems. And so begins a journey amid circumstances, friends, medical experts, advocates, an... full review

Heather did a phenomenal job embodying all the characters in her one woman show. It was like watching Cybill, but less traumatic.... full review