Cure Canada

December 1, 2008 – CURE Canada’s landmark original theatrical production, ShAIDS of Grey, will be taking on Toronto at the Diesel Playhouse this coming January.

“The real reward of the last show was the awareness and conversation it generated in the Hamilton community,” says CURE Executive Director Leo Johnson. “This will allow us to bring that awareness and conversation to a whole new community.”

ShAIDS of Grey brings to life the stories of the AIDS pandemic. Through vignettes, songs and dances, ShAIDS of Grey weaves the stories of men, women and children affected by the disease together into a narrative intended to challenge preconceived notions of the disease.

Throughout it all, the audience follows a journalist who travels to Africa in search of the truth about the world of AIDS. “But, oftentimes the lessons create more questions than answers,” says co-director and playwright Alayna Kolodziechuk. The quest of the journalist yields more questions than answers because in many ways, that is the reality of AIDS. “We called the play ShAIDS of Grey because in real life, AIDS doesn’t leave you with any absolutes. In real life, victims are forced to ask real questions about love, about fear, and about life and death. We wanted the play to reflect this in every way,” continues Kolodziechuk.

“CURE Canada’s whole philosophy is essentially approaching global issues in new and innovative ways,” says co-director and producer Michael Pett. “People know what AIDS is, but they don’t always know what it really means. By telling the stories of victims who often are deprived of a voice of their own, we hope that rather than simply telling people to get involved, we can inspire them to. That’s why the tagline of the play is People Need People.”

ShAIDS of Grey will be running from January 29-31 at the Diesel Playhouse on 56 Blue Jays Way. Tickets will be available starting December 15th and may be purchased online at www.dieselplayhouse.com, over the phone by calling 1(877) 971-5656, or in person by visiting the venue box office.

For more information about the show, please visit the official website at www.curecanada.org/shaids.

Project Spotlight: Liberian Library Project

Our most significant project to date is the Liberian Library Project—an initiative to construct a library and youth centre in the area between Monrovia and Paynesville, Liberia. The estimated costs for this major undertaking fall just shy of $350 000, but they are well worth it.

Just to put things in perspective…

Halifax has 15 city libraries.
Vancouver has 22 city libraries.
Hamilton has 24 city libraries.
Montreal has 67 city libraries.
Toronto has 122 city libraries.

The entire country of Liberia does not have a single one.

Now you can do something about it.