School as a place of rebellion

School as a place of rebellion and reflection on society is the challenge posed by the play “Class Enemy,” which will take the stage at Teatro Aveirense on February 13 at 9:30 p.m. Directed by Manuel Tur, it is a powerful and provocative piece.

The play “Class Enemy” dates back to 1978, and the evolution of times has proven that it has not lost its relevance. It was written by British author Nigel Williams at the height of the punk movement, but nothing that is said in it seems dated. At a time when integration policies are at the center of public debate, director Manuel Tur proposes a “reflection on the role of education in the origin of social asymmetries, common to different times and places.”

The story of the play unfolds in a school in any city, where six students await the arrival of a new teacher. They prepare to do everything they can to terrorize him, just as they did to the previous ones. While they wait, and to pass the time, the class leader convinces his classmates to each teach a lesson. In these lessons, the family realities of the six are exposed, marked by poverty, violence, and exclusion. Have they chosen to reject school? Or is the education system designed for them to drop out?