The King Of Hell's Palace

Inspired by true events, The King of Hell's Palace, explores the conflicts that arise when a community's greatest source of capital becomes their own bodies. Focusing on the personal repercussions of a cover-up, it questions how political and medical decisions are made and how both a family and an entire country can look to recover from traumatic events. The play follows a rural farmer’s family and how the Henan health officials' blood-for-cash scheme breeds HIV tragedy that has lasted until today. The Yang family tries to earn quick money by selling blood at the newly opened blood station. With the country still recovering from the great famine, the Henan Minister of Health tries to expand the province's economy by raising the blood output quota, setting up blood stations in rural areas & selling blood products to American pharmaceutical companies. As corrupt health officials cut costs to maximize profits, safety standards are ignored leading to an outbreak of AIDS and bringing potential catastrophe to China's most vulnerable population.