Next Thursday, August 12th I will be participating in a round table discussion at the Institut du Nouveau Monde’s 2nd edition of its Festival de l’Expression Citoyenne (FEC).  Along with two other panelists (from Wapikoni Mobile and Jeunes musiciens du monde) I will debate the merits of using art to engage in social dialogue.  The round table is free, open to the public and promises to provoke an inspiring conversation about how to trigger potent democratic dialogue through image-making, storytelling and music.  What do you say?

Thursday, August 12th at 7:30pm

The John Molson School of Business, Concordia University
Room MB 1.210 1455 de Maisonneuve West

Last Wednesday June 9th, a truck belonging to Yves Mercure, the President of the construction wing of the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) was torched in what looks to be an indirect arson attack on the union leader:

Police involved in Operation Hammer, the special squad investigating corruption and collusion in Quebec’s construction industry, have been called in to take a look at the incident.

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Taking a slight breather here before returning to the preparations for our trip to Quebec City. This is probably the biggest stage for Porte Parole so far, although we won’t actually be performing at La Bourse RIDEAU. What we’ll be doing instead is slightly more business-oriented but nevertheless equally as important as anything we do in the theatre. Read More »

Bonne nouvelle pour le nouvel an! Sexy béton a été sélectionné par Philippe Couture de VOIR.ca pour son « Top 10 » du théâtre Montréalais 2009.

Good news for the new year! Sexy béton was chosen by VOIR’s Philippe Couture as one of the Top 10 for Montréal theatre for 2009.

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I wanted to share today one of my favourite parts of Sexy béton II : Justice (currently playing at the Segal Centre). It takes place in the play’s second half, when lawyer, Julius Grey, meets the families bereaved and injured by the tragic collapse of the Concorde overpass. He is providing legal counsel, pro bono, and in the following extract, talks to Claude Goyette, whose son was killed that day. Read More »

I regularly receive emails from the literary magazine, McSweeney’s, who also publish The Believer, not to mention numerous books. Today’s email was particularly interesting. Apparently, the Bay Bridge in their hometown of San Francisco is closed for repairs. A chunk fell down on Tuesday and hit a truck and several cars. Now McSweeney’s is dedicating a large part of its next issue to an in-depth investigation into the famous bridge. Read More »

In this Toronto Star article, artists find their inspiration in the infrastructure beneath their feet – and in some cases, beneath their wheels! This includes, of course, Annabel Soutar and Sexy béton. Enjoy the read.

The première of Sexy béton yesterday was technically flawless, and more importantly, a moving event for those gathered in the Segal Centre’s intimate studio space. We heard an urgent call to address the injustice done to the de la Concorde victims. At the discussion at the theatre bar after the show, an audience member said he felt “scandalisé” by learning the full details of the past three years. What will it take for Montrealers to reclaim their own streets and make them safe? Does another bridge have to “fall on our heads?” Read More »