The theme of one’s having the ‘privilege to waste their time’, to be there in the room of Theatre Junction Grand’s current show Thus Spoke, bookended the four-man hodgepodge of monologue and movement.

Thus Spoke is different in so many ways to the classic play or dance show: it unfolds more like the feed on your favourite social media site. ‘Why don’t we kill Trump’ melts into a dance; a pseudo rape scene left some audience members – disturbingly – giggling in the dark, because the attack was made by a female performer onto a male. The show takes viewers into their own dark thoughts, into popular topics in your Facebook threads, and dances with them to the raunchy guitar squeals of Jimi Hendrix.

The cast warns from the beginning that if you’re there for a play it’s not what you’re getting; if you’re there for a dance showcase it’s not that piece either. This is something new, inspired largely by who we are as a society today and how we discuss and are affected by current affairs and the roles we play.

The monologues are distinctly Quebecois in both cadence and humour, as is the wardrobe and style of the two men and two women who perform them. Étienne Lepage and Frédérick Gravel brought Thus Spoke from Montreal to Calgary for it’s first showing here. The piece opened last night and runs until October 21st. Tickets range from $20 to $40.