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A play that examines the nature of community and how good people can make bad choices

Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster, Nancy Palk; Set by Camellia Koo; Costume by Sue LePage; Lighting by Bonnie Beecher; Sound by John Gzowski (Soulpepper)

Innocence Lost: A Play About Steven Truscott

By Beverley Cooper

In 1959 in rural Ontario, Canada, a 12-year-old girl named Lynne Harper was found raped and strangled to death. Within days her 14-year-old classmate Steven Truscott was charged with her murder. After a two week trial Steven was deemed guilty and sentenced to hang. Thus began the story that enflamed the community, the country and the world. This true story is looked at through the eyes of the fictional character of Sarah, a fellow classmate of Steven and Lynne's as she deals with her own loss of innocence, her world turned upside down and a personal journey to find truth and justice. 

Production History

Commissioned by the Blyth Festival in 2007, it was first produced in 2008 (Blyth, ON) with a remount in 2009, directed by Miles Potter. 2013 saw a co-production between the National Arts Centre and Centaur Theatre, directed by Roy Surette. Published by Scirocco Drama in 2009 (Globe and Mail Best Seller), it was included on the Grade 10 Saskatchewan curriculum. The Soulpepper Theatre production in 2018 was directed by Jackie Maxwell. 

Awards

  • Nominated and was a Finalist for the 2009 Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction

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