In 1989, a production of Brad Fraser's Unidentified Human Remains And The True Nature of Love ran at Alberta Theatre Projects. 22 years later the acclaimed Edmonton playwrite's True Love Lies kicks off the 2011/2012 season in incredible fashion.

"It is sort of a sequel to Unidentified Human Remains. The characters Kane and David were together for two years 20 years ago, and now Kane has gotten married, had two wonderful children, and my character David shows up in town to open a restaurant, not meaning in any way shape or form to see them. Things take place and he ends up interacting with the family and all hell breaks loose," explained Rejean Cournoyer.

GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine spoke to Cournoyer as well as playwrite Brad Fraser a few days before opening about the show. Cournoyer's character David ends up meeting Madison (Sarah Koury) who applies to his new restaurant and as a result reconnects with Kane (Dave Kelly) and his wife Carolyn (Barbara Gates Wilson.) Kane and Carolyn's son Royce is played by Alexander Plouffe. The idea of revisiting two of his characters came from a real-life moment, Fraser explained.

"I started writing the script right when I finished working on Queer as Folk in around 2005. I got a phone call from an ex-boyfriend I hadn't seen in about 20 years. He is married to a woman now and has children, he was calling to say hi and how much he learned from our relationship and how he applies it to his relationship now. That got me thinking gee what if one of his teenaged children came in and applied for a job' From there it was that kind of what if moment that writers really love that unlocks everything."

"It is risky subject matter. Ultimately what I feel it does is bridge gaps and makes people understand a little more, it will create conversations. You will have people who may get up and go because they don't understand the subject matter, but those people who don't will have conversation and it will create empathy for people in similar situations," said Cournoyer.

It does take a few minutes to adjust to Dave Kelly, who is so ingrained in the minds of Calgarians as the former host of Breakfast Television, as he plays this character, especially in some of the frank sexual talk in the show.  Nevertheless you soon get into the story and no longer see him, but his character. It is a testament to both his performance and the quality of the script that you quickly see simply Kane, not Dave.

"I am not from Calgary so I met Dave for the first time on day 1 and had no idea who he is. It took me a few days of observing and listening to realize he is a well known figure in Calgary," Cournoyer said. "The cast is a wonderful group of people, Barbara Gates Wilson is brilliant and the kids are played by two recent graduates from the acting program at U-Vic, it is their first professional gig out of school which is exciting."

The great thing about theatre is how it can be interpreted differently by different people. However there is disagreement about whether the show would be effective in an opposite-sex storyline.

"That is probably the beauty of the piece. You could insert the opposite sex dynamic into the same plot or family and similar events would occur as a result," said Cournoyer. "So it is not a gay play, it is a play that features characters that are gay."

"I disagree with that," replies Fraser.  "The basic premise is that the father who is indeed straight has had a relationship with a man earlier in his life that his family didn't know about. I would venture to say if they found out it was a woman he was with before marrying the mother it wouldn't be nearly as interesting or as big of a deal for the family as finding out it was a man.  As with all my plays this is really about the scope of sexuality, not gay people or straight people just people in general and one of them happened to have an affair with someone of the same sex years earlier; the ramifications of your children finding that out and how it can affect your family. The show is really about that sad and profound moment where families realize the children have grown up and it is time for everyone to move on."

On opening night, many in the audience gave the show a much-deserved standing ovation. Thought provoking, emotional, funny, and with many twists and turns True Love Lies is a fantastic start to the season, and the first must-see production of the year.

"It is very timely, funny, emotionally affecting," Fraser concluded. "If it is anything like the response in other cities, a lot of people will see something of themselves in these characters."