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'Domino Heart': A Play Explores The Gift of Organ Donation

photo courtesty of Morning Star Productions
Domino Heart

In the world of organ transplants, one person could potentially save eight lives. Each donor has two lungs and two kidneys, as well as a heart, liver, pancreas, and intestine. When you count non-lifesaving organs, like eyes or skin, even more people could be helped by a complete body donation.

Many of us have the orange donor dot on our drivers’ licenses, but that alone isn't quite enough to ensure your wishes are carried out.

Milwaukee's Morning Star Productionstackles the subject of donation in its new production of Domino Heart, which opens this weekend at Eastbrook Church on Green Bay Avenue.

Actor Tiersa Ferraro says working on the play has been a profound experience and a reminder. "Maybe instead of a new lesson, maybe it’s a reminder to appreciate and love those people around us," she says. "And letting them know while they’re here. Not after they’ve passed and feeling the regret of that."

Nursing supervisor for transplant services at St. Luke’s, Adam Kallio, isn't usually part of a theatrical production about organ transplants, but, he says, when theatre tackles a subject like this everyone wins. "It does bring awareness to people about the need and the powerful gift that is transplant."

Domino Heart runs through October 8th.

Bonnie North
Bonnie joined WUWM in March 2006 as the Arts Producer of the locally produced weekday magazine program Lake Effect.