Peter Cureton (November 1, 1965 – March 2, 1994) was a Canadian actor and playwright.[1] He was best known for his 1993 play Passages, an autobiographical show about living with HIV/AIDS.[2]
Peter Cureton | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 1, 1965 Ottawa, Ontario |
| Died | (aged 28) Ottawa |
| Occupation | Actor, playwright |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Notable works | Passages |
Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Cureton was a cousin of actor R. H. Thomson.[1] He attended high school at Lisgar Collegiate Institute, and later studied drama at Concordia University.[3] He acted in theatre roles in both Ottawa and Montreal, including productions of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap,[3] Jack Todd's The Day Luzinski Stole Home[4] and William Mastrosimone's Shivaree,[5] participated in Montreal's first bilingual theatresports competition,[6] and appeared in the television film The Boys of St. Vincent as Brother Peter.[3]
Diagnosed HIV-positive in 1988 while acting in The Mousetrap,[3] he also worked as an HIV educator.[3]
Passages premiered in Montreal in 1993, with Cureton as the director of the inaugural production.[2] The cast included Joe de Paul, Susan Glover, Lisa Bronwyn Moore, Patrick Brosseau and Pauline Little.[2] The play was favourably reviewed, with Montreal Gazette theatre critic Pat Donnelly writing that "it should be a kickoff, not a swan song".[2]
Cureton died on March 2, 1994, aged 28, at his family's home in Ottawa,[2] while working on a planned production of Passages in Toronto.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Actor-playwright Peter Cureton, 28". Montreal Gazette, March 8, 1994.
- ^ a b c d e "Passages is eloquent adieu by writer with AIDS". Montreal Gazette, October 22, 1993.
- ^ a b c d e f "Actor, AIDS educator Peter Cureton dead at 28". Ottawa Citizen, March 7, 1994.
- ^ "Stage struck; But new bard cautious so he'll keep his day job". Montreal Gazette, May 14, 1992.
- ^ "Foolhouse Theatre troope shines in Shivaree". Montreal Gazette, February 13, 1991.
- ^ "Anglophones face off against French in Quebec improvisational theatre". Ottawa Citizen, March 16, 1991.