North(519) Best of Toronto Fringe A

Fertility Slippers

Friday August 11, 2023 at 8:30pm

Vancouver. 2005. A Turkish-Canadian mother and daughter reflect on their past, navigate the present, and after an unexpected medical diagnosis, contemplate an uncertain future.

The Mother is a Turkish immigrant who came to Canada as a single parent. The Daughter is a young adult trapped between two worlds. One is passionate and loyal, and the other is 24-going-on-12 when faced with her mother’s smothering. They are always at odds. Just put on the damn slippers, canım, and everything will be fine! Maybe? Probably. Will Mother and Daughter overcome their differences in crisis, or will Mother have to “pickle her”?

The story is based on Aydin’s own experience as a 1.5 generation immigrant, having moved here old enough that she retained a deep connection to her home, while being young enough to quickly assimilate into the new culture. Fertility Slippers reflects on the family dynamics that arise when generations collide and cultures mix. Aydin asks “when a family is divided by a world of differences, what will it take to stay together?”