VITALS by Rosamund Small is a powerful one-woman show exploring the lived experience of a Toronto paramedic. Originally performed in 2014, VITALS is reimagined for 2026 to reflect how healthcare has been profoundly reshaped over the past 12 years. Performed and embodied for the first time by a healthcare worker who lived through it, Dr. Janet McMordie.
Based on real interviews with paramedics, physicians and nurses, VITALS examines life-and-death calls, bureaucracy, burnout, and the emotional toll of frontline health care. Director Alaine Hutton (Lester Trips) brings the text to life where the body becomes the site of memory, strain, and resilience.
Prior to each performance, enjoy live music by frontline workers in the lobby of the theatre beginning 1 hour prior to curtain.
Select performances will feature post-show talkbacks exploring themes such as theatre and the health humanities (with University of Toronto faculty), improvisation and medical care, and post-pandemic mental health (with a practicing psychotherapist).
Proceeds from ticket sales will support Frontline Families Canada, a non-profit that provides support and programs for the families of fallen first responders.
Dr. Janet McMordie – Performer
Rosamund Small – Playwright
Alaine Hutton – Director
Chris Holtkamp – Assistant Director
Laura Philipps – Producer
Mary-Kate Terepka – Paramedic Consultant & Community Liaison
Kaleigh O’Brien – Paramedic Consultant for 2014 Premiere
Produced by Second Act Actor Productions | 75 Minutes | Age Recommendation 14+ | Content warning: This play contains explicit descriptions of violence, gore, sexual assault and self-harm including suicide. It is not recommended for younger audiences.
