About
Following her productions The Silence of the Sirens and The Breasts of Tiresias at the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, director Laura Kutkaitė now presents a new piece, Teach Me. In creating this provocative work about the school environment, Kutkaitė says that theatre offers a uniquely fertile space in which to re-examine our attitudes towards education. As in her previous productions, she blends philosophical inquiry with humour, weaving together social critique, devised dramaturgy, and the tragicomic imagery that emerges from improvisations with the ensemble.
Before beginning rehearsals with the actors, Kutkaitė visited various gymnasiums across Lithuania, spending full days in lessons alongside students in Years 9 through 11. The creative team also draws inspiration from the stories and reflections sent in by teachers and students. They note that everyone will recognise something of their own school experience here – the painful moments as well as the most absurd.
Teach Me asks: What kind of society is shaped by today’s school? In what ways are school and factory alike? Can we think of ourselves as industrial products? Where do we draw the line between education and indoctrination? As a society, are we intent on reinforcing a culture of obedience and subordination, or dare we imagine a future in which education truly liberates?
Teach Me invites audiences to spend an unusual kind of “school day” together.
This production is dedicated to the memory of Gabrielė Skiriūtė
