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