About the project

Meet Dolly, a new mother to a very fussy newborn. Audiences will be diving in head first alongside Dolly as she experiences bursts of intense postpartum psychosis periods within a surreal, nightmarish nursery full of her beloved dolls. As she seeks to discover the root of her life failures she finds that motherhood might finally allow her to find some success. Content warning: language and suggested violence. 

Motherhood is supposed to be one of the happiest times in a woman's life, but what happens when a mother isn't happy? Ex Utero explores the effects of postpartum psychosis, a widely unspoken issue that millions of women have experienced. When an illness such as postpartum psychosis is put into the mix, how can a woman possibly enjoy her new life as a mother? How is she expected to survive when she cannot protect herself or her child? This piece seeks to raise awareness about this illness and to expose some of the truths about motherhood that too many are afraid to speak up about.

This project received financial support from the National Theatre School of Canada via the Art Apart program, an emergency fund for emerging artists who are affected by physical distancing due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

About the artist

Katy is a recent graduate University of Windsor’s BFA Acting degree. Her passion lies completely in storytelling and the art of sharing the voice. Katy focuses her art on Shakespeare, classical text, devised work and Grand Guignol Theatre.