The newly hired substitute teacher Kristian stands in front of a 5th grade class, a cross-section of society, filled with needs, expectations, and dreams. But inside he is being dissolved by unease and doubt. In confronting the ten-year-olds, he is forced to confront his own inner child, the teacher role, and the system surrounding him.
Being a teacher is like being a stand-up comedian, psychologist, child-rearer, and lecturer all at once. Everything must be learned, not least the love one develops for the students. If learning is to meet oneself, and understanding is to stand before another human being, what does it really mean to be responsible for one’s own learning?
The teacher is an ambitious monologue project that explores language and modern Norwegian self-understanding.
The playwright, actor, and slam poet Fredrik Høyer is one of our most original voices. He performs the role of the substitute teacher Kristian with intimacy and razor-sharp humor, in a deeply probing text about how we understand ourselves through the eyes of others and the roles we play in each other’s lives. In a surprising way, the gray and everyday becomes a mythical journey that concerns both you and me.
By and with: Fredrik Høyer
Duration: Two double periods with recess (3 hours including break)
