Factory Theatre, renowned for showcasing the latest works from Canada’s alternative and political theatre troupes, hosted Honey I’m Home as part of its 2024 season. This Lester Trips (Theatre) production was written, directed, and performed by the company’s founders, Lauren Gillis and Alaine Hutton, known for producing experimental, discomforting works that challenge audiences by exploring the impact of technology and the internet on our brains and lives. Honey, I’m Home is a 65-minute dystopian sci-fi that will leave you holding your breath.
The play is set in a world where nearly all tasks are performed by AI (Artificial Intelligence), yet the presence of at least one human worker in the office remains mandatory. Janine’s repeated requests to work from home are denied, forcing her to endure a gruelling daily commute to the office. Deprived of human interaction and natural sunlight, she spends endless solitary hours at her computer. When she returns home, she’s too exhausted to handle her chores. Trapped in the infinite cycle of commuting and working, Janine turns to her assigned AI assistant, James, for help. With his “guidance,” she uploads her consciousness into a digital space and creates an avatar body so that her physical body can stay in the office while her digital consciousness commands the avatar body to perform tasks at home.
Janine hopes this arrangement will enable her to manage work and home responsibilities simultaneously, perhaps with a moment of rest. However, things go awry. She struggles to give simple commands, such as instructing her avatar to put her coat on the rack. The lack of coordination between her physical body, digital consciousness, and avatar body affects her health, leaving her nauseated and weakened. Eventually, her consciousness becomes trapped in the digital world. Adding to the shock, she finds a lousy surprise- another avatar has invaded her home.
Honey I’m Home, written, directed, and performed by Lauren Gillis and Alaine Hutton. Lester Trips (Theatre).
The play opens with a nun and a woman paralyzed in a chair. The nun describes finding the woman in storage and trying to heal her through songs and prayers. As the story unfolds, we learn that this woman was rendered jobless by the AI takeover, evicted from her home, and eventually locked her physical body away in storage. This woman infiltrates Janine’s home internet network, transferring her digital consciousness into a mouse avatar (performed by Angela Blumberg) and secretly living in Janine’s home. Through her story, we see that life outside the office is no brighter than Janine’s gruelling existence.
By creating this dystopian world, the play confronts the reality that modern technology, despite its promise to aid us, actually numbs us, driving us further into isolation and alienation. It questions how systems are designed not to meet human needs but to drive us to work harder and faster, often at the expense of our well-being and sense of self. Ultimately, it challenges us to confront the cost of a world where technological progress comes at the price of our humanity and identity.
Honey I’m Home, written, directed, and performed by Lauren Gillis and Alaine Hutton. Lester Trips (Theatre).
Minimalist Design Reflecting Isolation
The set consists of a few overturned chairs in the left corner of the stage, with two white panels in the center and on the right. Janine’s body (played by Lauren Gillis) lies uncomfortably face-down across the chairs, illuminated by harsh, computer-representing light, symbolizing isolated lives and glued to screens.
One of the panels features a window-like opening through which a brightly lit digital portrait of Janine (Alaine Hutton) emerges, representing her consciousness. This digital version attempts to instruct her avatar (Lauren Gillis), but the slow internet and frequent disconnections create constant disruptions. Miscommunication between Janine and her AI assistant, James, further highlights the incompatibility between her physical body, digital consciousness, and avatar, adding a layer of internal conflict to the narrative. The play emphasizes humanity’s struggle to adapt to technological evolution.
Light, Sound, and the Sci-Fi Atmosphere
Light and sound are autonomous characters in the play, each serving as a storytelling element. The digital world’s voice, embodied by James in dialogue with Janine, initially appears helpful but gradually becomes the factor causing her detachment and entrapment between identities.
Lighting, designed by André du Toit, is another crucial component that enhances the sci-fi atmosphere. By distinguishing and merging the physical and digital realms, the lighting creates an oppressive yet mesmerizing environment, immersing the audience in the nightmarish experience.
Honey I’m Home, written, directed, and performed by Lauren Gillis and Alaine Hutton. Lester Trips (Theatre).
Performance and Aesthetic Choices
All characters in the play are performed by Gillis and Hutton, with Angela Blumberg appearing as the mouse avatar in a costume during choreographed scenes. Each character is distinguished through different physical choices.
While some scenes rely heavily on gestures and mimics, these choices occasionally risk disrupting the narrative’s coherence. However, this aligns with the unfocused nature of the digital world, creating a layered commentary on the struggle to concentrate in an age of fragmented attention.
A Dystopian Reflection on Modern Life
Honey, I’m Home offers more than a conventional theatrical experience. It challenges audiences to grapple with the alienation and loneliness bred by modern technology and capitalist systems. With its minimalist design, dynamic use of light and sound, and poignant performances, the play delivers an unsettling yet thought-provoking look at how technology and labour reshape human identity in the digital age.
Toronto, 2024
Honey I’m Home, written, directed, and performed by Lauren Gillis and Alaine Hutton. Lester Trips (Theatre).
Writer, Performer, Director, Producer, Set, Props & Costume Designer
Lester Trips (Theatre)
Performer
Angela Blumberg
Consulting Director
Adam Lazarus
Vocal Coach
Fides Krucker
Movement Coach
Denise Fujiwara
Dramaturge
Mel Hague
Scenework Coach
Rosemary Dunsmore
Sound Design & Additional Composition
S. Quinn Hoodless
Lighting Designer
Andre du Toit
Stage Management, Production Management and Associate Producing
Laura Philipps
Set Consultant
Helen Yung
Associate Producer
Wayne Burns
Head Rigger and Head Stage Carpenter
Ryan Wilson
Set Drafter
Autumn Coppaway
This post was written by the author in their personal capacity.The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of The Theatre Times, their staff or collaborators.
This post was written by Berna Ataoğlu.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
