Play brings human cloning issues to the stage

Shannon LeClair 

Times Reporter

 

Since Dolly the Sheep arrived, there have been debates about the possibility of human cloning. Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned in the mid 90’s, causing controversy and debate over whether geneticists had gone to far. 

The script of ‘A Number,’ written by Caryl Churchill in 2002, brings to life the possibility of human cloning, and was on the Engineered Air Theatre stage at the EPCOR centre from Nov. 23 to 27.

Canadian Badlands Passion Play co-director Barrett Hileman decided to direct the play for the Fire Exit Theatre. 

“I think it went well, we had maybe a little smaller houses than I hoped. We did something different at the end of the show, we had a talk back after every show and we had just some really great discussion that was started by the play,” said Hileman.

“I think that part was really exciting and I think that’s part of the theatre company’s mandate is to spark conversation and start conversation, so in terms of that I think it was really successful.”

The play begins with a father and the first clone son, Bernard, who has just found out he was cloned. The father starts off saying he didn’t know, blaming the hospital and threatening to sue. After the son mentions there were others, the father finally admits to cloning him. The father then lies and says that the original son and wife died in a car crash, when in fact the wife committed suicide. The story line continues from there with the first clone eventually finding out the truth and the father ending up miserable. 

Hileman knew it was a script he wanted to direct. 

“Some of the issues that it raises about cloning and in a very sort of relational human way not a sci-fi kind of way,” said Hileman.

“It talks about the consequences, what would happen if we had this capability and we had the choice to just do this.”

Hileman said since Dolly was cloned there have been cows, monkeys and all sorts of other animals cloned. He is sure we are getting closer to human cloning being a possibility, and he thought it was a discussion that should be had.