Parenting Partners’
She is not the vessel, He is not the donor

Is a deeply personal one human show, which tells the story of creator & performer Alyce Fisher and creator Seth Scheuner’s experience creating a family outside of the heteronormative.

Alyce Fisher in Parenting Partners

Image credit - Parenting Partners Creative Development 2023 - Threefold Studio

The work explores the themes of fertility, conception, pregnancy, birth, family and is ultimately a love story. The show is grounded in storytelling, features comedic highs, gear shifting and confronting truths, audience participation, and aims to leave the audience having experienced all the emotions. Parenting Partners is envisaged as a 50-minute, one human show, which stretches performer Alyce Fisher’s varied skill set as she brings the audience into the fold of her warm embrace.

Parenting Partner's creative developments has been made possible thanks to funding support from HotHouse Theatre's Celsius and GreenHouse programs 

“you drew us in as a story teller – very welcoming to the audience”

– Anni Davey (Artist Director Flying Fruit Fly Circus)

This absolutely resonated with us and our experience having a 2020 baby! ‘Don’t you know we are in a pandemic?’

– Megan Star (Midwife and 2020 mother)

Image credit - Parenting Partners and Co-Creators Alyce Fisher and Seth Scheuner during their second HotHouse Theatre Celsius Funded Creative Development November 2023

Background of the project thus far

Parenting Partners received Celsius funding from HotHouse Theatre in 2021, for an initial Creative Development stage. Artists engaged in 2021 were Alyce Fisher (Writer, Performer, producer), Seth Scheuner (Co-Creator & Movement), Rachel McNamara (Dramaturgical Support). The concepts, themes and basic structure of the play were explored, a first draft of the script developed, and ideas were tested in front of a small audience at a showing on the 8 June 2021. Feedback was very positive with the audience keen to see the work continue.

Celsius funding was again secured in 2023 for another creative development stage and also for some prototyping. Artists engaged in 2023 were Alyce Fisher (Writer, Performer, producer), Seth Scheuner (Co-Creator & Movement), Rachel McNamara (Dramaturgical Support) and Andrée Cozens, as well as Professional Audio Services for voice over recording, Hello Little Creative Studio for Graphic Design and Threefold Studio for photography. The script has taken a huge leap, strong sound design elements have been experimented with and overall, the work is really progressing.

Parenting Partners has been offered a GreenHouse: National Artist Residency week in November 2024. The artistic team for this stage of the development will include Alyce Fisher (Writer, Performer, Producer), Seth Scheuner (Co-Creator & Movement), Andrée Cozens (Sound Designer) and Adam Deusien (Director).

Image credit - Parenting Partners 2021 Creative Development Alyce Fisher, Seth Scheuner, Rachel McNamara and baby Elora

Interested in finding out more about Parenting Partners?

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