Le virus et la proie

Powerful Vulnerability 

Heedless and elusive, power appears to us citizens of the 21st century like a thousand-headed hydra, at once everywhere and nowhere. Engaging it in dialogue is impossible. Fed up with remaining silent before the barely concealed cruelty of the law, four people lay it all on the line, speaking out in voices quivering with the force of truth, the weight of their words highlighted by their presence on stage.

In this piece addressed directly to a politician, writer and intellectual Pierre Lefebvre highlights all the social diseases that undermine the equality of opportunities in our neoliberal world. Thanks to Benoît Vermeulen’s stripped-down direction, the performance relies primarily on sharing the voices of a remarkable, unified cast. On stage, the body and the text are finally able to say together what neither can say on its own. Thoughtful outrage is the desired outcome!

Produced by Pierre Lefebvre + Benoît Vermeulen

Written by Pierre Lefebvre

Directed by Benoît Vermeulen

Performed by Tania Kontoyanni + Etienne Lou + Alexis Martin + Eve Pressault

Assistant Director and Stage Manager Ariane Lamarre

Music Guido del Fabbro

Lighting Design Anne-Sara Gendron

Costume Design and props Estelle Charron

Movement Advisor Line Nault

Make-up Sandrine Bisson

Surtitles translation and preparation Élaine Normandeau

Surtitles operation Emmanuelle Brousseau

Technical Director Caroline Turcot

Executive Producer Nouveau Théâtre Expérimental

Co-produced by Festival TransAmériques + Théâtre français du Centre national des Arts (Ottawa) + Nouveau Théâtre Expérimental + Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui

Presented in association with Espace libre

Premiered at Festival TransAmériques, Montréal, on May 27, 2022

World première

Written by Paul Lefebvre

Translated by David Dalgleish