Stem cells, on stage

It's intermission, and everybody milling around me is talking about stem cells. We've just seen the first half of Chimera, a world premier play that explores the murky world of stem cell ethics and legislation -- how lawmakers with no background in science should decide what to ban, and what to permit. The first act ends with a debate that includes voices ranging from those with deeply held convictions to those who still haven't formed a clear opinion. Now, I'm hearing audience members echo all sides of this debate as we stand in line for coffee, waiting for the action to resume.The new play centers on journalist Roy Ruggles (played by David Jansen), who sees an opportunity for a great article when his childhood friend, the current Minister of Justice Clare McGuire (Philippa Donville), is grilled by conservative Member of Parliament George Fanning (David Fox) about her opinion towards...