Not One of These People

»Not One of These People« consists of 299 statements spoken by 299 different characters whose faces we see as video projections. They address us directly, sharing their thoughts and views on the world, at one moment raising questions about racism, gender and the patriarchy, the next, entrusting us with intimate secrets. With each utterance, a small vignette and insight into the private lives of these numerous characters emerges, reminiscent of the tidal wave of opinions that inundate us on social media. But the characters that appear as projections and seem to be totally authentic are actually not real: each of them is an avatar created with AI algorithms using deepfake technology. And the texts they speak are not spoken by themselves, either, but are read out by a single performer: Martin Crimp, the author of the piece.

If the playwright’s job—he seems to be asking—is to invent voices, whose are the voices he is entitled to invent? Are there limits to what they can say? And what if an invented voice says things the author himself would prefer not to hear? Are we watching the exercise of empathy and imagination, or a warning not to try entering the minds of others?

Martin Crimp, born in Dartford, UK, in 1956, studied English literature at Cambridge University. Since his debut as a playwright in 1982 with »Living Remains«, he has written theatre plays, radio plays and texts for opera, and has published many translations and adaptations. He is recognised as one of the most important contemporary playwrights.

Christian Lapointe, born in Québec, Canada, in 1978, is the artistic director of Carte Blanche and curator of the Mois Multi festival, both in Québec City. Since 2000 he has designed, performed and directed more than thirty plays and performances.

MIT: Martin Crimp
TEXT: Martin Crimp
DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER: Christian Lapointe
DRAMATURGY: Andréane Roy
SOUND DESIGN, TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND OPERATOR: Gabriel Filiatreault
TECHNICAL DIRECTON: Jérémy Busque
LIGHTS: Caroline Ross
ACCESSOIRES AND SCENOGRAPHY ASSISTANCE: Julie Lévesque
ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT AND OPERATOR: Véronic Marticotte
PRODUCTION CONSULTANT: Anne McDougall
CREATIVE DEVELOPER: Guillaume Lévesque – 0 / 1 Hub numérique