Recent advances in genetic editing technology raise important cultural questions about the direction of medical care in our society. Specifically, the new genetic tool, Crispr cas9, can select and remove a single gene from a string of DNA and replace it with another. I t promises the eradication of diseases and an end to much suffering but exactly what medical conditions should be targeted for editing? ho gets to decide what qualifies as a healthy body, or a healthy mind? xpectant parents hold the seemingly imple wish for a healthy baby with ten fingers and ten toes, but what exactly is meant by that? As one of our deaf characters asks: “what about two working ears?” Where should the line be drawn? I f we begin to make our species conform to ideals of health, what might we lose? But equally, should dystopian fears of enforced medical norms prevent us from seeking to end genetic diseases, many of which can be deadly?

The play is the product of a multi-disciplinary process involving students and faculty from across campus and beyond. Initial research on genetic editing was conducted by Theatre and Film Studies student Germaine Kasiama as part of a HUM 3WW3 course. In the spring, the production process began with stories told by prominent McMaster faculty working in the field of medical ethics. These stories, along with Kasiama’s in-depth research, inspired a student-centered creative process out of which the new play emerged. I scripted the play over the summer working with Hartley Jaffine as dramaturge and in consultation with embryologist Jay Baltz (University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine) and medical-legal expert Ubaka Ogbogu (Department of Law, University of Alberta). Since September the play has been developed with the cast, the Major Production Workshop class, under the guidance of Catherine Joell MacKinnon our Deaf Theatre Consultant.

The rapid advances in this field of medicine promise an exciting future but racing headlong into this future might easily result in unforeseen consequences. The international medical community is fully aware of this and is hotly debating the benefits and potential drawbacks of these new developments. The situation of our play is fictional but all the science iscurrent. The story is structured to pose questions around health, ethics, science, disability, and responsibility. We are not proposing any answers or taking a position on either side of the debate. We simply hope our story will encourage reflection and further dialogue. The play you are about to see is the product of a long an extensive collaboration. I want to thank each and every one of the designers, writers, actors, and advisors that have been part of this remarkable journey. I would like to say a special personal thanks to Cat and Samreen, for helping me see the world from the perspective of deaf culture, and to Sarah Vargo, our interpretor for helping me bridge the worlds.

Peter Cockett – Director and Scriptwriter

Genetic Technology

Crispr cas9 is a new genetic tool that can target a single gene in a strand of DNA, remove it, and replace it with a different gene, effectively reprogramming the organism’s genetic code. It can be used to edit the genomes of plants, insects, bacteria, viruses, and animals, including humans. Human diseases caused by single gene mutations include: sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Tay Sachs Disease, and Huntingdon’s Disease. Weeks ago the pioneers of Crispr technology (Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna, Feng Zhang) were awarded the Gairdner Prize – Canada’s premier award for scientific research.

Stem Cells

The human body is made up of lots of different types of cells: skin cells, brain cells, bone cells, and so on. These are known as somatic cells. Human pluripotent stem cells are cells that can develop into a variety of different somatic cells as needed for the growth of the human body. They are found in human embryos. It is possible to reverse engineer somatic cells into human pluripotent stem cells and then forward engineer them into any kind of somatic cell you wish, including into something that resembles a human embryo (Warmflash, et al). Experimentation on human stem cells is carefully monitored by the Stem Cell Oversight Committee in Ottawa. However, the legal status of an embryo created from reverse engineered somatic cells is not entirely clear (Ogbogu & Rugg-Gunn).

The Law

It is currently illegal in Canada to use human embryos in experiments except those relating to human reproduction. Approval even of this research requires that the embryo be destroyed prior to 14 days, the stage where it would be implanted and thereby become a fetus. In 2015 many in the medical community reacted with outrage when Chinese researchers edited the genome of human embryos (Cyranoski & Reardon). The potential benefits of this research, however, are so great that it is becoming increasingly common worldwide (Callaway).

Tommy Douglas

Tommy Douglas is rightly revered as the founder of Canadian Healthcare. The inspiration for the play, however, was the discovery that as a young man he wrote a thesis at McMaster advocating for the sterilization of women of “subnormal” intelligence and morals. Eugenics, the social science from which this argument arose, was very popular in the 1930s and was supported by many other liberal-minded men like Douglas. It was also, of course, enthusiastically embraced by the German Nazi party. A program of sterilization was proposed to Douglas when he was in power as premier of Saskatchewan. He rejected it and went on to fight for a healthcare system, accessible to all, that we are still benefitting from today. His thesis might perhaps be understood as the mistaken proposal of a well-intentioned and idealistic young man who wanted to change the world for the better. But even framing it in this way should give us cause to pause.

Works Cited

Callaway, Ewen. “Embryo-editing research gathers momentum.” Nature vol. 532 (2016): 289.
Cyranoski, David & Sara Reardon. “Chinese scientists genetically modify human embryos.” Nature (2015): April 22.
Ogbogu, Ubaka, and Peter Rugg-Gunn. “The legal status of novel stem cell technologies in Canada.” Journal of International Biotechnology Law 5, no. 5 (2008): 186-199.
Warmflash, Aryeh, Benoit Sorre, Fred Etoc, Eric D. Siggia, and Ali H. Brivanlou. “A method to recapitulate early embryonic spatial patterning in…”

This production was conceived and developed by THTRFLM class 3PS3

ANA Laurda Araujo Caro
BRENDEN McAndrew
BRIANNA Seferiades
CATHY Huang
CHARLES Wallace
CLAUDIA Spadafora
DAVID Allan Louis Jackson
FATIMA Sirhindi
HARTLEY Jafine
RACHEL Flores
JAMIE Milay
JASKARAN Singh
KIRSTEN Feldner
KYLE Billie
LIAM Harris
LISA Ziegler
MADISON Pucci
NICOLE Carrick
NICOLE Moss
PATRICK Brennan
PETER Cockett
ROSE Mergler
SEAN McAndrew
TRISHA Harlan
TROY Abrams
WARREN Kang
YURI Cao

Dr. Lisa Schwarts
Dr. Terry Flynn
Dr. Travis Kroeker
Samantha Sargent
Dr. Janice Hladki

Our amazing interpreters; Sarah Vargo and Rachel Benning. Our ethical and medical advisors on the project: Meredith Vanstone (Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics), Mat Savelli (Department of Health, Society and Aging), and Claudia Emerson, Billie-Jo Hardy and Sam Sergeant (Program for Ethics & Policy for Innovation), Lisa Schwartz (The Arnold L, Johnson Chair in Health Care Ethics, McMaster), Jay Baltz (University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine), and Ubaka Ogbogu (Department of Law, University of Alberta). The SOTA office staff: Rita Crespo, Christine Speare-Van Vugt, Rose Mannarino, Sharon Grant. The director of SOTA Alison McQueen for supporting the project as it grew beyond its means. Our Theatre and Film Studies colleagues: Catherine Graham, Janice Hladki, Joe Sokalski. Alex for her selfless dedication and hard work. Jonathan, Eloise, Natasha, Sophia, Charlie and Catherine for managing without our director at home.