Le virus et la proie

A fiery indictment of the violence of power, both political and monetary, the script is originally presented in the form of a letter addressed to a “Monsieur” without any other name or qualifier that might identify him. The author, the long‑time director of the magazine Liberté, decries with great lucidity, a touch of irony and quite a bit of style, the fact that there is no way to open a dialogue with or even be heard by this Monsieur.

Impossible to humanize, he represents and encompasses everything that possesses power and money and sets the rules of the game: in other words, “the system”—both the major players of the world economy and the elected representatives who are too busy playing the game to serve our interests. Economic liberalism seeps into all facets of our lives, including our private lives, our sensibilities, our imagination, such that it is inescapable: everyone must be a “winner.” Even artistic expression is subject to the laws of commerce and the governance principles of big business. After all, don’t we call it the cultural industry now?

The show unfolds on a bare stage, sculpted by light, occupied only by the actors, the acting and the lines. If you’re worried it will be dry, rest assured it is anything but: it’s a piece rooted in the body, alive, carnal, with strong and sensitive images, delivered in an everyday language, immediately recognizable. The score is divided between the four performers, two actors and two actresses, portraying four different characters who address the audience directly. They have truly made the lines their own. They deliver them with conviction, creativity and nuance, at times provoking outrage, at others inviting support.

What if art was the only true form of opposition?