Projet Polytechnique

Porte Parole Montreal
  • Written and performed by Marie-Joanne Boucher and Jean-Marc Dalphond
  • Directed by Marie-Josée Bastien and Dominic Champagne

The word “femicide” appeared in dictionaries in 2019, 30 years after a young man deliberately ended the lives of 14 female students at Polytechnique Montréal engineering school precisely because they were women. For no other reason.

Are there other words missing from our vocabulary to help us understand how hate is born and spreads? In this age of algorithms, misinformation and social media, what are the concepts that will help us identify and combat violence?

Actors and writers Jean-Marc Dalphond and Marie-Joanne Boucher leave no stone unturned in their investigation of the consequences of the femicide at the Polytechnique. Annabel Soutar and Alex Ivanovici provide dramaturgical support.

Company

Founded in 2000 by Annabel Soutar and Alex Ivanovici, Porte Parole creates and produces documentary plays on challenging topics such as health, financial bubbles, hydroelectricity, globalization and immigration. Each of Porte Parole’s projects addresses current issues in a compelling, sometimes provocative way, and invites open civic dialogue.

Porte Parole’s work has been widely acclaimed for its creativity and its unique way of bringing complex documentary material to life.

Porte Parole has 16 plays to its credit: Rose et la machine, L’Assemblée – São Paulo, L’Assemblée – Munich, Tout inclus, L’Assemblée – Montréal, The Assembly – Montreal, J’aime Hydro, Fredy, The Watershed (Le partage des eaux), Seeds (Grains), Sexy béton, Import/Export, Montréal la blanche, Santé!, Novembre and 2000 questions.

Creative team

  • Written and performed by Marie-Joanne Boucher and Jean-Marc Dalphond
  • Directed by Marie-Josée Bastien and Dominic Champagne
  • Dramaturgy Annabel Soutar and Alex Ivanovici
  • Sets Marie-Renée Bourget Harvey
  • Music Ludovic Bonnier
  • Lighting Caroline Ross

National Creation Fund investment

The National Creation Fund’s investment of $140,000 supports a significantly longer period for documentary research, collaborative writing, and the scenic development of the project. In addition, the creative team will have the opportunity to explore the integration of live musicians, and possibly a choir, into the production.

Credits

Coproduced by Porte Parole, Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Diffusion Inter-Centres.

Developed with support from the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund.

Past performances