OUR LADY OF THE HOME
Our Lady of the Home recounts the story of Liza, a housewife of the 1960’s who finds herself troubled by her reality. Perceiving this unease as a mental imbalance -rather than a healthy reaction to oppressive circumstances- she contacts her doctor and begins to take a new and fashionable medication. Liza’s transformation unfolds through scenes both tenderly human and vividly surreal, as she reaches towards the light of her personal truth. Through a vocabulary of contortion, acrobatics, physical theatre, and Aerial Hoop, performer Alyssa Bunce invites the audience to enter the inmost room of Liza’s reality. “Our Lady of the Home” contrives a captivating, comedic and potent reflection on identity, choice, and self-reclamation: unpacking the stigma of "hysteria" and celebrating Liza's courage to choose Herself.
Duration 60 minutes. Note: This show references themes of substance use & mental health which may be sensitive for some individuals.
Conceptualization and Performance: Alyssa Bunce
Realization, Directeur de Jeu: Leonardo Sivira
Artistic Advisor, Directrice de Jeu: Veronica Mélis
Sound Design: Daniel Ben-Hur
Light Design: Luis Fernando "Nano" Cano
Backdrop, Coatrack: Elaine Helguera
Dramaturgic Assistance: Brin Schoellkopf, Aime Morales
Filming, editing, photography: Brin Schoellkopf
Support: Canada Council for the Arts, Yukon Government, Lotteries Yukon
Phantom Theatre, The Yukon Arts Centre, Chamäleon Berlin
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Yukon Arts Fund.
"Our Lady of the Home touches us through its energetic performance and the accuracy of its physical language. Alyssa Bunce's impressive interpretation proves the extent of her acrobatic and theatrical range."
Françoise Boudreault, CLIQUEZ CIRQUE, July 2025
“Digging into the roots of the inquiries, Bunce discovered that the voices were often implanted in her at a young age to serve a culture that to her seemed patriarchal, unjust, and often denying the humanity of certain individuals. Our Lady of the Home is immensely affirming and healing, as we observe the character's quest to reclaim her personal discernment— learning how to say no, for example.”
Our Lady of the Home, The Valley Reporter, Vermont, August 2024
