Jairangam, a national-level theatre festival in Jaipur is making its way to Mumbai with two
plays for a weekend namely Waiting for Naseer and The Lesson. The aim of the group is to
travel to centres that reflect a strong cultural presence. The idea is to not just perform but
also engage in a dialogue with the audience. So far there have been amazing reactions
to Waiting for Naseer, wherein two actors wait at the Prithvi Theatre Cafe to catch a show of
their favourite actor. The play is a celebration of theatre, acting, passion, and of life.
The Lesson, on the other hand a one-act play by Eugène Ionesco, performed in 1951
as La Leçon and published in 1953. In a seemingly lonely old professor’s house, a young
pupil comes for her ‘lesson’ as she wants a Doctorate in ‘all the possible streams.’ The
professor seems to be her best hope and his encouraging, respectful and demure demeanour,
make her feel all the more confident. But as the lesson progresses, the professor starts to
assert himself and the strong-willed pupil is transformed into a lamb. The play raises relevant
questions that we are still searching for answers for.