Kill Me Now

by Brad Fraser

Jake is a widower whose life is devoted to his son, a severely disabled seventeen-year-old boy. However, when Jake suddenly develops a serious medical condition, he becomes the one to rely on the people around him. As Jake's condition worsens, an ethical dilemma troubles the household as everyone is forced to consider the possibility of saying goodbye too early.

Genres: Plays, Canada

112 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2016

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fraser wrote one of my favorite contemporary plays (Unidentified Human Remains...), but most of his other plays have left me rather cold. This, his most recent endeavor, I have mixed feelings about. The story of a widowed father caring for his son with multiple disabilities is very well-done, and has some touches of much needed humor. But it still lends itself to some clichés about PWDs and the ending, although not going where the title might have led one to surmise, is a touchy one. I am also discouraged, having worked for a dozen years with performers with disabilities, that Fraser felt compelled to write a defensive and self-serving screed about NOT having to cast actors with disabilities in parts calling for such. Be that as it may, I'd still love to see an adventurous theatre company take this one on.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this play has started an interesting conversation on how we treat disability in theatre and disabled artists. But if Fraser's work is to challenge the audience-what kind of audience is he challenging here? Kill Me Now a play about disability, sure, but it seems like it was written for a non-inclusive audience, for non-disabled people. I can appreciate what he may be trying to do here, I just am not a fan of how he's chosen to do it. Fascinating, thought-provoking, not my favourite.

[Megs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its taken me a while to sort out my feelings on this one. Did it make me cry? Yes. The next day did I think about some things that bothered me? Also yes.