Playwright Taylor Explores Morrisseau Forgery Crisis

The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light, a new play by Drew Hayden Taylor, premieres tonight at Winnipeg's Prairie Theatre Exchange and dramatizes the ongoing fraud surrounding Anishinaabe painter Norval Morrisseau. Taylor, prompted by an AI experiment showing language models imitating his style, bases the thriller on real-world authentication battles and recent convictions such as Jeff Cowan's sentencing hearing last week. The production highlights cultural appropriation and art-authentication challenges.