Ottawa Fringe 2012. 2020 is less concerned with assisted suicide than with human greed

A few years into the future in North America, the ethics of assisted suicide are no longer under discussion because helping the terminally ill to end life has been legalized. Therefore, the procedure is now just a matter of routine, or is it?

In 2020, playwright J.P. Chartier (who also plays a husband almost involved in a love triangle) apparently sees no need to rerun the pros and cons of euthanasia. Rather, he points to the more enduring questions of love, greed and emotional involvement impairing scientific calculation.

The dichotomy limits the impact of the show. The degree to which it succeeds is due to the slick production qualities, careful direction and good performances.

The biggest negative is the way that Chartier leads the audience astray in suggesting who the next subject on the deathbed might be.

Artbeat Theatre Group

Directed by Sarah Hearn

Written by J.P. Chartier

Cast: J.P. Chartier, John Collins, Alexa Higgins, Mike Kennedy, Thea Nikolic, Jennifer Vallance