The Lesson

See it if you want to see how a classic text of the Theater of the Absurd holds up, or explore the fraught dynamics of a student-teacher relationship.

Don't see it if you find the Absurd hopelessly dated.

Also Personal confession: a high school encounter (1968!) with a classic of the Theater of the Absurd changed my life. Since then, a devoted theater-goer, I look for plays that can duplicate the emotional & existential wallop of that first encounter. Fast forward to today. Except for Beckett, few Absurd plays are performed anymore. With excitement & trepidation I went to LATEA’s new production of early Ionesco. Good news: the text holds up, a wry exploration of power dynamics between an eager student & a master with an impossibly bloated opinion of his importance. Then comedy lurches into tragic territory & an audience isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, a dissonance characteristic of the Absurd. LATEA’s production is strong, performances solid but a bit rough when I saw it. The maid captures perfectly a note of total banality & absolute dread at the same time. (It’s inspired to have her sit when “offstage” so the audience can see her, a 2nd audience who can smell impending calamity.)... Read more Read less

See it if You've only got one hour and you HAVE to see a show. Also, the set, as well as the theater with an adjoining bar are lovely.

Don't see it if Ionesco played straight? This play is supposed to be farcical, not played in a naturalist style.I won't even get into the acting. Just don't

Also Did the director do any research? Much too ambitious an undertaking for a small amateur theater company. Sorry.... Read more Read less

See it if Great acting great writing what else could you want funny and absorbing

Don't see it if If you can’t handle theater of the absurd

See it if you realize #MeToo didn't start this year. The Lesson is a #MeToo cry from 1950! Great production that needs a longer life somewhere.

Don't see it if uncomfortable chairs, a hot theater or absurd dialogue make you uncomfortable. No see it! You need to.

See it if you can laugh at increasingly absurd teacher-student dynamics then regret doing so when the power play gets out of hand.

Don't see it if you're ashamed of your knowledge of subtraction and fearful people are going to snicker at you. It's not enough to know 1 + 1 = 2.

See it if you like absurd theater and are unfamiliar with Ionesco

Don't see it if you won't be dining at one of the fine restaurants on Clinton Street.

Also I now see why my Ionesco lithograph is so complex . Go eat at Lil Gem and get the lamb. It was awesome !... Read more Read less

See it if you like original writing with a great cast.

Don't see it if you only like logical stories

Also Director has cast Ionesco well. The play grows slowly but becomes powerful, thought-provoking play that masquerades as a mystery-farce.... Read more Read less

See it if You know and enjoy Theater of the Absurd with its seemingly absurd dialogue. Thought provoking.

Don't see it if You like traditional theater with banal and predictable outcomes.

See it if you UNDERSTAND Ionesco and the theatre of the absurd. If you're willing to enjoy a play that doesn't make sense in a linear story.

Don't see it if you don't know Ionesco and the theatre of the absurd, and need to understand a story that make sense.

See it if you enjoy plays off the beaten paths of Broadway cliches and spectacles.

Don't see it if you enjoy plays with a clear message or point.

See it if you like Ionesco, you're OK with absurdity and a bit of darkness

Don't see it if you want something fast-paced, you don't have patience for speeches that (intentionally) don't make sense

Also I felt this show lagged a bit in the middle, after a pleasantly humorous start/before the intensity built up towards the end, but I saw this on a day when I was sick with a cold, so the problem may have been my mood rather than the show.... Read more Read less

See it if ...you want to see a fine production of a classic Ionesco play. Comedy and darkness all under one roof.

Don't see it if ...you need an easy-to-understand story. I enjoyed discussing and reading up on its underlying themes/meanings afterwards.

See it if You like short plays. The venue is great, I would love to see a different production there.

Don't see it if Although this was only an hour they probably could have cut another 20 minutes out. It was hard to sit through the actual lesson.