The Syllabus
Reviewed by Ryan McGreal
The vibe is wry and world-weary.
Michael Gougis plays a community college night school professor on the first day of class, going over an exhaustive - and to the burdened instructor, increasingly exhausting - list of classroom dos and don’ts.
It’s a syllabus inspired by both the antics of his previous students and the increasingly deranged national zeitgeist, which looms over the play and creates a palpable tension alongside the humour.
Mixing dark comedy, cultural commentary, media literacy and academic moral flexibility, The Syllabus immerses the audience in a perspective of the modern world that feels both dystopian and disquietingly familiar.
One audience note: after each section of the syllabus, Gougis asks his students - the audience - if they have any questions. This is not rhetorical: audience engagement is integral to the show, and he really does want to elicit questions so he can ply his impressive improv skills. The production works best when Gougis plays the instructor and you agree to play a student.
Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)
Warnings: Coarse Language
Venue: Mills Hardware
Special Performances: Relaxed Performance
Creator/Playwright
Michael Gougis
Performer
Michael Gougis
Director
Michael Gougis
