Making Waves: Three Radio Plays

David E. Kemp, a former drama professor at Queen’s University, is the
author of The Pleasures and Treasures of the United Kingdom.

Based on real-life events, the three plays that make up this volume by
Montreal writer Emil Sher all feature characters who have an unshakeable
belief in the moral positions they have taken. Mourning Dove was
inspired by the case of Robert Latimer, who was put on trial for killing
his disabled daughter. Doug, Latimer’s alter ego in this moving play,
is forced to reconsider his position on mercy killing as a result of his
relationship with a friend who has Down syndrome. Denial Is a River is
based on the case of Rochelle Pitman, who sued the Red Cross, her family
doctor, and a hospital for negligence after her husband died as a result
of having been treated with tainted blood. This tightly written and
powerful play documents her anger with a medical establishment steeped
in paternalism. Past Imperfect explores the case of Jean-Louis Roux, the
lieutenant governor of Quebec who resigned his post when it was revealed
that he had worn a swastika on his sleeve during a 1942 rally. The
boundaries of forgiveness are effectively examined in this sensitive and
thought-provoking play.