Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love
Encyclopedia
Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love is a 1989 stage play written by Canadian
playwright
Brad Fraser
. Set in Edmonton, Alberta, the comedy-drama follows the lives of several sexually frustrated "thirty-somethings" who try to learn the meaning of love — during a time in which a serial killer
is terrorizing the city.
abilities.
ability whose mental gifts will figure prominently in the resolution of the plot.
at the playRites '89 Festival in Calgary, Alberta, Unidentified Human Remains was immediately controversial for its violence, nudity, frank dialogue, and sexual explicitness. It nevertheless received critical acclaim; it was named one of the 10 best plays of the year by TIME. Over the next 15 years, productions in many languages have been mounted from New York
to Japan
. In November 2004, a 15th anniversary revival of the piece took place in Calgary
.
, was released in 1993.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Brad Fraser
Brad Fraser
Brad Fraser is a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator. He is one of the most widely produced Canadian playwrights both in Canada and internationally. Fraser's plays typically feature a harsh yet comical view of contemporary life in Canada, including frank depictions of...
. Set in Edmonton, Alberta, the comedy-drama follows the lives of several sexually frustrated "thirty-somethings" who try to learn the meaning of love — during a time in which a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
is terrorizing the city.
Characters
Characters include Candy, a heterosexual woman trying to meet the perfect man but who along the way finds herself experimenting with lesbianism; her homosexual roommate, David, who no longer believes that love exists; Kane, a sexually confused teenager who idolizes David; Bernie, David's troubled best friend; and Jerri, a lesbian who falls in love with Candy. Overlooking the proceedings is the otherworldly Benita, a prostitute with psychicPsychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
abilities.
Plot
Using and subverting elements of various genres, including thriller, situation comedy and grade-B horror film, the piece is written with cynical humor, but is serious in tone. As the play begins, a serial killer is preying on young women in the city; we soon realize that Bernie is the murderer, a fact only discovered by the other characters late in the play. Narration is provided by Benita, a prostitute with psychicPsychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
ability whose mental gifts will figure prominently in the resolution of the plot.
Production history
First presented by Alberta Theatre ProjectsAlberta Theatre Projects
Alberta Theatre Projects is a Canadian theatre production company, founded in 1972, based at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Calgary, Alberta....
at the playRites '89 Festival in Calgary, Alberta, Unidentified Human Remains was immediately controversial for its violence, nudity, frank dialogue, and sexual explicitness. It nevertheless received critical acclaim; it was named one of the 10 best plays of the year by TIME. Over the next 15 years, productions in many languages have been mounted from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In November 2004, a 15th anniversary revival of the piece took place in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
.
Film adaptation
A film version, Love and Human RemainsLove and Human Remains
Love and Human Remains is a 1993 Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand and based on Brad Fraser's stage play Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love. Fraser also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation...
, was released in 1993.