The Cultural Rucksack

On Friday 17th of March, the students of Nordic Literature and the second year of Norwegian B are going to Dale to see the comical theatre piece The Lesson by Eugène Ionesco.

Sogn and Fjordane Theatre is on tour (The Cultural Rucksack) and is going to perform for most High School classes in the area. The students will be able to “meet” the student who is supposed to achieve the “Universal Ph.D.” in three weeks, the professor who is supposed to help her with this and his maid.

Burlesque and humor-filled drama in one act.
The Lesson is an interesting and thought-provoking piece that raises questions about the meaninglessness of the taught and oppressive values that we share. This happens by the story being told in a cheeky, unconventional and liberating form of absurd humor. Who is this young student who doesn’t know more than an eight-year old child? Who is this strange professor who is “hiding” a sadistic tyrant inside and who is this maid who is supposed to tell people about the tragic result of this private lesson?

Language as a tool of power.
In The Lesson, language is used not only for communication or learning, but also as a tool of power. The piece is written as an attack on an oppressive school system with totalitarian teacher authority. It is full of surprising events and exaggerated, grotesque humor. The writer of the play, Eugène Ionesco, is focusing on the meaningless nature of our conventions. What kind of people are we teaching our children to be? What kind of banal knowledge are we forcing upon them? What use will they have for the hopeless mindset and the useless skills that we are indoctrinating them to have? What are we using our language for: to dominate or to liberate?

Welcome to the play!

Edmund Cluett2017-03-16T12:38:59+01:00March 16th, 2017|