About the Play:

Chimera is a full-length drama by Wendy Lill. A journalist who no longer believes that there is good in the world sets his sights on the new Minister of Justice. His chosen target becomes embroiled in a moral and ethical debate around the issue of stem cell research. Reflecting on her seven years in federal politics, playwright Wendy Lill has crafted a political intrigue about scientific research.

Chimera is a thought-provoking political drama that centres on Roy Ruggles, muckraking reporter with a Down syndrome brother struggling to remake his reputation. He's got an axe to grind and he's found a likely target in his childhood friend Clare McGuire, the splashy new Minister of Justice. The Minister has announced in the House the anniversary of the passing of the Human Reproductive Technologies Act. But George Fanning, MP backbencher and his colleagues refer to it as the "Murdered Embryo Act". Eager to stir the pot, George has a question for the rookie cabinet minister about a laboratory where human embryonic stem cells are being implanted into developing monkey brains for autism research. When Clare evades the question, journalist Roy smells a story and begins to investigate. A chimera (ki-meera) is a hybrid that contains cells from two different species. Part Parliament Hill, part personal involvement, at the play's heart is the thorny issue of human stem cells being transplanted into Rhesus monkeys. From Parliament Hill's question period, to university research labs, to the political backrooms where men and women lobby and struggle for power, Chimera explores the promise and perils of scientific research and the personal ideals that fuel politics. What makes Chimera so compelling is that Wendy Lill has lived almost all the roles the play dramatizes: NDP critic for both culture and persons with disabilities, she came to politics after a career in community health care and as a reporter for the CBC.

Chimera premiered in 2007 Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. Since then the play has been mounted by regional and community theatres.

Cast: 2 female, 5 male

What people say:

"If there's one Canadian playwright with an insider's knowledge of that comedy-drama known as federal politics, it's Wendy Lill." — CBC

"The play comes at a propitious time." — The Scientist

"Science and politics might seem like strange bedfellows – and stranger subjects for a theatrical drama – but by breathing new life into a debate that's often avoided, Lill makes Chimera a monster worth tangling with." — The Winnipeg Sun

About the Playwright:

Wendy Lill is a Canadian playwright and former parliamentarian who worked in various parts of Canada, finally settling in Nova Scotia. Her experiences in journalism and broadcasting influenced and encouraged her to "fictionalize real incidents and events." She has been described as a writer of "contemporary social issues with a clear-cut women's perspective." Her plays are produced in professional and community theatres and universities across Canada and internationally.