Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, September 12, 2013 – On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the historic Krever inquiry into the tainted blood scandal that rocked Canada for almost thirty years, a new play that addresses the effects of the crisis on a family with three hemophiliac sons, TAINTED, will open in Toronto.
An original work and premiere production, TAINTED is one of the most anticipated plays of 2013. Inspired by the true stories of families who endured the worst public health disaster in our history-‐ the tainted blood crisis -‐ the play puts a human face on an epic tragedy. Following a family fighting to stay intact when the unimaginable happens and three hemophiliac brothers are all infected with HIV and hepatitis from their clotting treatment (Factor 8), TAINTED is a story about love, loss, justice and the enduring power of forgiveness.
TAINTED is written and produced by actress, writer, and producer Kat Lanteigne who was inspired to write the play by an extended family member directly affected by the crisis. To research the play, Lanteigne travelled across the country over the course of many years interviewing survivors and those who testified at Krever.
TAINTED will be directed by the multi Dora Award-‐winning Vikki Anderson (4.48 Psychosis, The Doll House, Turn of the Screw) and features a power house ensemble cast including Alex Furber (War Horse), Claire Calnan (Iceland, A Small Room At The Top Of The Stairs), Gord Rand (The Test, Hamlet), Maria Vacratsis (Endgame, Through the Leaves), Owen Mason (A Christmas
Carol, Our Town), P.J. Prudat (free as injuns, Café Daughter), and Richard Greenblatt (Two Pianos, Four Hands, Yichud).
TAINTED will run in Toronto from Wednesday, September 25 through Saturday, October 12 (opening and media night September 26) at the Aki Studio Theatre in the Daniels Spectrum at 585 Dundas Street East. Tickets from $27 -‐ $42 are available by phone at 1-‐800-‐204-‐0855, online at www.gromkat.com or in person at the box-‐office.
“I was very young when I learned about the tainted blood crisis but the sense of devastation and bewilderment around me left an indelible mark.” comments writer Lanteigne.
As an adult I came to realize the full implications of what happened – how people felt betrayed by the government, shell-‐shocked by being touched by something they never could of imagined, and at a time so different from now when being infected with AIDS and had immense moral implications. As an artist I was both attracted by the dramatic potential of this story and also to the powerful potential of the theatre as avenue for social change. And now that paid-‐blood-‐ donor clinics are being reconsidered despite the lessons of Krever and the loss of thousands of lives, people have to experience this story and understand what the sweeping human cost of this really was.”
Adds director Vikki Anderson “While this play carries an incredibly important political message, what really attracted me was the family story. Kat has written a beautiful and powerful family drama with complex relationships. It is a fascinating look at how families cope in crisis. I feel blessed to get to work with the amazing cast we’ve been able to bring together to tell this story.”
TAINTED’s set design is by Andrea Mittler (The Dumb Waiter, Brothers Karamazov), lighting design is by Siobhan Sleath (The Dumb Waiter, Kiss Me, Kate), costume design is by Ming Wong (The Dumb Waiter, Bluebeard) and sound design is by John Gzowski (Major Barbara, Cruel & Tender.) Graeme Ball joins Kat Lanteigne producing for Moyo Theatre.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GromkatProductionsMoyoTheatre Twitter hashtag: #tainted
About TAINTED:
Written by Kat Lanteigne Directed by Vikki Anderson
Cast
Alex Furber – Scotty
Claire Calnan – Jacklyn
Gord Rand – Jeff
Maria Vacratsis – Molly
Owen Mason – Leo
P.J. Prudat – Christine
Richard Greenblatt – Greg
Creative
Set Design – Andrea Mittler
Costume Design – Ming Wong
Lighting Design – Siobhan Sleath
Sound Design – John Gzowski
GromKat Productions
GromKat is a Toronto based production company. It is owned and operated by multi-‐disciplinary filmmakers and theatre artists Kat Lanteigne and Graeme Ball.
Moyo Theatre
GromKat’s not-‐for-‐profit theatre company. Moyo Theatre’s mandate is to create theatre with a fearless heart that is relevant, contemporary and riddled with passion.
Photo: Diana Kolpak and David-Benjamin Tomlinson. ©2012 Tariq Kieran.
2013-09-12
Toronto: “Tainted”, a play about the tainted blood scandal, runs September 25-October 12