Play addressing the human cost of the tainted blood scandal to tour Ontario, including performances at Queen's Park and Parliament Hill
TOUR WILL KICK OFF JUST PRIOR TO SECOND READING Of THE VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONOR ACT IN THE LEGISLATURE
TAINTED
IT WAS MEANT TO GIVE THEM LIFE…
Written and produced by Kat Lanteigne
Directed by Vikki Anderson
featuring an all-star Canadian cast: Beryl Bain, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Dillan Chiblow, Neil Foster, Alex Furber, Kat Lanteigne, and Maria Vacratsis.
"It's frightening, charming, and finally very moving."– The National Post
"This is a play that everyone should see…she has written a gem." –Mooney on Theatre
TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2014 /CNW/ - Following a successful world premiere run in Toronto in the fall of 2013, the producers of the play TAINTED are thrilled to announce that a provincial reading tour of seven cities will kick off in Toronto on Saturday, October 18th, including private performances at Queen's Park and Parliament Hill for MPP's, MP's, and political staffers.
The tour begins just two days before the Voluntary Blood Donor Act is scheduled to have a second reading in the provincial legislature.
An original work by writer/producer Kat Lanteigne, TAINTED first premiered in September of 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. 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 C 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.
Lanteigne's outreach into the communities most affected by the tainted blood crisis led to an ongoing role lobbying for the protection of Canada's voluntary blood donation system. She became a leading advocate for the Voluntary Blood Donation legislation that was introduced into Queen's Park - originally by former provincial Health Minister Deb Matthews in March of 2014 - working alongside leaders including Michael McCarthy, former Vice-President of The Canadian Hemophilia Society, now principal of Grosso McCarthy, a leading public affairs, communications, and strategy firm in the health care field. McCarthy was the national spokesperson for Canadians infected by blood tainted with Hepatitis C. His tireless efforts resulted in a landmark $2.4 billion settlement with the federal government on behalf of the victims of tainted blood.
Commenting on Kat Lanteigne and the play's impact on raising awareness for the dangers of re-privatizing blood product collection, McCarthy said, "Tainted provided the public with a jarring reminder of the emotional devastation of families impacted by the tainted blood crisis, at a time when it really needed to be reminded. It was instrumental in galvanizing support for advocates to successfully convince the Ontario government to introduce legislation to ban paid plasma in the province. And as we move forward to hopefully bringing the Volunteer Blood Donation Act into law, it is an excellent time for the play reading tour to remind even more citizens and lawmakers of what is at stake."
The TAINTED tour is directed by the multi Dora Award-winning Vikki Anderson (4.48 Psychosis, The Doll House, Turn of the Screw) who directed the original production, and features an all-star Canadian cast including Beryl Bain, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Dillan Chiblow, Neil Foster, Kat Lanteigne, and original cast members Alex Furber and Maria Vacratsis.
The tour will commences on October 18th at The Foundery in Toronto and runs through October 30th wrapping up in Thunder Bay. All performances are free and open to the public (with the exception of the performances at Queen's Park and Parliament Hill). To reserve a space at any reading email [email protected]. A complete list of tour dates, locations, and times follows.
The TAINTED tour is produced by Moyo Theatre and sponsored by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Representing Ontario workers at Canadian Blood Services, OPSEU is proud to support this play as part of its ongoing efforts to keep Canada's blood system public, not-for-profit and based on volunteer donation.
Website: moyotheatre.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GromkatProductionsMoyoTheatre
Twitter hashtag: #tainted
Youtube: http://youtu.be/vMk4p4yZDgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDs78rcZXnA
About Kat Lanteigne:
Kat Lanteigne is an actor/writer/producer based out of Toronto. Kat completed her classical training at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the UK. Kat went on to perform in Pericles Snowdon's Bluebeard off-Broadway at The Medicine Show Theatre in New York followed by a production of All's Well That Ends Well, in which she received praise for her role as The Countess of Rousillion at the Alchemy Studio Theatre. Kat played the role of Rooster in GromKat's production of Bluebeard, Toronto Fringe Festival and played Olivia in Twelfth Night, at The Gladstone which GromKat co-produced with Direct Flight Theatre. Selected film & TV roles include CBS's The Elizabeth Smart Story, Reviving Ophelia and Crossed Over.
Kat's landmark play, Tainted, premiered in Toronto last fall to critical acclaim. Her writing credits include the plays Coffee, and The Inexplicable Love of Clara Evans (in development) and the children's book My Fairy Uncle. Screenplay credits include the award-winning short films Wilma's Sacrifice and Maids. Her feature screenplay Finger the Rhino is currently in development and she is adapting Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall's novel Ghosted into a television series. Kat is also a contributing writer for the Huffington Post, The Good Men Project and Local magazine. She was named one of the people who made Toronto a better place by The Grid magazine in 2013 for her play Tainted.
Moyo Theatre
Moyo Theatre's mandate is to create theatre with a fearless heart that is relevant, contemporary and riddled with passion. TAINTED was its inaugural production.
TAINTED - TOUR DETAILS:
THERE IS NO ADMISSION FEE FOR THESE PERFORMANCES AND UNLESS SPECIFIED ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. SEATING CAN BE GUARANTTEED BY EMAILING [email protected], with the exception of the National Arts Centre Performance (ticket booking in formation for NAC below)
DOORS WILL BE OPEN 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO PERFORMANCE TIMES LISTED.
TORONTO – SATURDAY, October 18th – The Foundery – 7pm
376 Bathurst Street,
Unit #101
Toronto, ON
M5T 2S6
http://foundery.is
HAMILTON -Tuesday, October 21st – The Pearl Company 7:30pm
16 Steven St.
Hamilton, Ontario
L8L 5N3
thepearlcompany.ca
LONDON - Wednesday, October 22nd - Aeolian Hall 7:30pm
795 Dundas Street East
London, Ont.
N5W 2Z6
www.aeolianhall.ca
WINDSOR - Thursday, October 23rd - Kordazone Theatre 7:30pm
2520 Seminole Street
Windsor, Ont
N8X 1Y5
http://www.kordazone.com
TORONTO - Monday, October 27th – Queen's Park 3:30pm
*Performance for Members of Provincial Parliament and Queen's Park staff.*
TORONTO - Monday, October 27th – Dancemakers 8pm
The Distillery District - Dancemakers Studio 313
15 Case Goods Lane (BLDG behind Balzac's)
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 3C4
dancemakers.org
KINGSTON - Tuesday, October 28th - Isabel Bader Studio Theatre 7pm
390 King Street West
Kingston, ON
K7L 2X4
613.533.2424
www.theisabel.ca
OTTAWA – Wednesday, October 29th The Hill – Centre Block 3:30pm
*Performance for Members of Parliament and Hill staff*
OTTAWA - Wednesday, October 29th - NAC - Fourth Stage 7:30pm
53 Elgin Street, at Confederation Square
Ottawa, ON
nac-cna.ca
**PLEASE BOOK TICKETS ONLINE at http://nac-cna.ca/en/tickets
THUNDER BAY - Thursday, October 30th - Thunder Bay Art Gallery 8pm
1080 Keewatin Street
Thunder Bay, Ontario
807.577.6427
http://www.theag.ca
SOURCE: Red Eye Media
For more information or interview requests, please contact: Suzanne Cheriton, RED EYE MEDIA, [email protected], 416-805-6744
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