Artists breaking rules is a dog-bites-man kind of story. Artists who make their own rules and stick by them? Now that’s news. Sexy béton, Part III: Abandon, the finale of Porte Parole theatre’s three-part investigation into the collapse of the Concorde overpass, offers a surprisingly powerful ending to a tightrope act by a company with ambition and courage.

Surprising, because at first glance, a three-part play about urban infrastructure, its management and flaws, is not obvious dramatic material. The provincial government’s investigation into what caused the collapse concluded that a number of mistakes converged to produce disaster, but no single individual, company or ministry could be blamed.

Surprising also, because ten minutes into this remarkable evening it becomes clear the intrepid protagonists Maude and Brett will fail in their mission to obtain justice for the victims. The six injured survivors and relatives of the five who died simply weren’t interested in taking the government to court, even though Maude and Brett convinced a top Montreal lawyer to represent them for free and raised the $20,000.

But this is only the factual ending. What counts on stage is emotional punch, and here Porte Parole delivers. As the two young researchers face up to the failure of their mission in the presence of lawyer Julius Grey (yes, the famous minority rights advocate), they discover a central truth of Quebec society, one which applies to Canada as a whole: we are not Americans, we are not mighty individualists who go for the jugular. For better or for worse, we’ve opted for collective security as opposed to the insecurity of individual risk. This choice shapes our political system and our personal decisions.

The victims don’t just wimp out on taking on city hall, they make a carefully calculated choice. In a brilliant speech that resonates long after the play is over, Grey (played by Alex Ivanovici) brings the two young advocates to a deeper understanding of justice, as it exists in our advanced capitalist democracy. He dignifies their effort to crack this case and rescues them from the temptation of cynicism – an ending that far transcends the familiar American-style victory common to every Hollywood movie.

A programme note claims 90% of the words spoken onstage are direct quotes from interviews and written documents, which makes the play’s dramatic power all the more remarkable. Writer Annabel Soutar, who is also Porte Parole’s artistic director, has done a magnificent job of distilling documentary material into a coherent dramatic form.

The documentary basis of Sexy béton’s approach has not at all tempted them to give aesthetics and theatricality short shrift. The set by Marc Sénécal is a stylish instillation piece. The cast is outstanding. Six actors play many parts, slipping into roles, accents and languages with ease. Ivanovici is hilarious as Julian Grey, jacket hanging gingerly on a lanky frame while he talks about how the Romans dealt with Hannibal. Paul Stewart, Pierre Collin and France Rolland leave you thinking there is no linguistic divide in Montreal, everybody juggles several personalities at once. Under the capable direction of Sophie Vajda, their performances find heart and humour amid intensity.

Maude Laurendeau-Mondoux and Brett Watson as the two actors in search of a play are excellent, the ups and downs of their partnership deftly humanizing the quest. My only quibble is with the decision to have Maude speak only French and Brett stick to English. The effect means a less than fully bilingual audience can follow, but it’s unnatural.

Most bilingual couples operate according to more complex conventions, their choice of language varying with the speaker’s level of security and generosity. There must be a way to make communication sound less like Air Canada announcements and more like Montreal life as we know it. But that’s a detail.

A rare and wonderful achievement, Sexy béton III is sure to interest anyone keen on theatre that engages both the intellect and the senses. Let’s hope we someday see all three shows distilled into one potent work of political theatre.

Sexy béton, Part III: Abandon continues at the Segal Centre’s studio through Jan 21.

Photo: Kirk Wight

Tagged as: Julius Grey, Porte Parole, Sexy Beton