It’s October 1991 at the height of the AIDS crisis, and the residents of Casey House, Canada’s first free-standing AIDS hospice, receive word that Diana, Princess of Wales, will be making a historic visit.
This February, Alberta Theatre Projects, in association with The Citadel Theatre, is proud to bring the powerhouse Canadian play Casey and Diana to the Martha Cohen Theatre stage.
“Powerful, gripping, funny and hopeful,” (Hamilton Magazine), Nick Green’s Casey and Diana vividly captures a moment in time when a rebel Princess, devoted caregivers and steadfast advocates reshaped the course of a crisis—and how those stricken by the virus found hard-won dignity, community and love in the face of astonishing hardship. Inspired by incredible true events, Casey and Diana is a powerful tribute to love, resilience, community and compassion, and is brimming with moments of deep tenderness, resilience, sharp wit, and humour that stay with you long after the lights go down.
This critically acclaimed drama has been taking Canadian theatres by storm since its premiere production at the Stratford Festival (Ontario) in 2023. Enjoying a near-sold-out run in Stratford, the play has since been sweeping the nation with productions from Soulpepper Theatre Company (Toronto), Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton), Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (Winnipeg), Arts Club Theatre (Vancouver), Yes Theatre (Sudbury), and Neptune Theatre (Halifax); with more productions still to come from The Belfry Theatre (Victoria), Western Canada Theatre (Kamloops), and The Citadel Theatre (Edmonton, produced in association with ATP).
The Toronto Star included Casey and Diana on their list of the 10 best theatre shows of 2023, calling it “an incredibly moving and deeply accomplished play” and “the most moving Canadian play of the year” in their review. Globe and Mail theatre reporter Aisling Murphy said of the production at Stratford, “If you see one play this year, it’s this one. Run, don’t walk.” The play was one of Intermission Magazine’s favourite theatre productions of 2023. In January 2024, The Guardian named Casey and Diana on their list of “the best theatre to stream this month” (via the Stratford Festival’s subscription streaming service).
“We are taking care of people who need it in ways they can accept.”
– June Callwood, Co-Founder of Casey House
Opened in 1988 during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Casey House was founded by a group of intrepid volunteers led by journalist and activist June Callwood, and was Canada’s first stand-alone treatment facility for people living with HIV/AIDS, and Ontario’s first free-standing hospice.
At the time of Casey House’s founding, the average life expectancy for people living with AIDS was nine months. June Callwood’s goal was to create a place of medical excellence in HIV/AIDS treatment and, most importantly, a place of love and compassion. When the first client arrived at their front door, he was greeted with a hug – it was the first time he’d been touched in months.
Casey House created new approaches to palliative care and played a leading role in both end-of-life care and HIV/AIDS health care, delivered in a welcoming and homelike environment.
Over the years, Casey House evolved from a hospice to a specialty hospital, providing care and support for people living with and at risk of HIV. Today, Casey House remains a warm and welcoming place, where they provide compassionate, judgment-free and socially-just health care.
“We wanted Casey House to be a place where people who were dying would feel loved, and get hugged.”
– Margaret McBurney, Co-Founder of Casey House (Information courtesy of Casey House)
Three years after the opening of Casey House, Diana, Princess of Wales, made a historic visit that helped change public attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. In a gesture of compassion, Diana shook hands with a Casey House resident. It was a simple act, but one which broke barriers. In a time when fear and stigma surrounded HIV and AIDS, Diana’s compassion helped shift public perception and humanize the epidemic.
"[Princess Diana] demonstrated to the world that people living with HIV/AIDS also deserved love and care. Her advocacy enlightened and educated many at a time when fear and stigma were rife. We had been recognized, and her notice felt both genuine and gratefully supportive. And then, we carried on."
- Erika Eprecht, former Casey House nurse
If you would like to learn more about Casey House and Princess Diana’s historic visit, playwright Nick Green hosted the four-part podcast series, “With Dignity: The Story of Casey House,” that delves into the incredible stories behind this iconic Toronto institution. This series was produced by Soulpepper Theatre Company, with the support of Casey House, and written and produced by Pippa Johnstone with original music by Nathan Howe.
Available to listen on Soundcloud, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts
Casey and Diana runs at Alberta Theatre Projects from February 24 – March 15 at the Martha Cohen Theatre at Werklund Centre. Tickets are available now at albertatheatreprojects.com.