Sunday, February 22 through Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at L'Etage

The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, whose mission is to present classic absurdist theater to audiences in the Philadelphia region, will feature Romanian playwright and dramatist Eugéne Ionesco's one-act The Lesson, for twelve performances beginning Sunday, February 22 through Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at L'Etage in Philadelphia. Curtain for all performances will be 7:30 pm.

The Lesson (1951) is one of two works the IRC will present in 2009 in celebration of the centennial of the birth of Ionesco, considered by many to be the "father of absurdism," whose works express the impossibility and futility of communication with a surreal comic force.

The Lesson features local actors Tom Byrn as The Professor, Jane Moore as The Maid, and Kate Black-Regan as The Pupil. The Chairs (1952) is the second work in the year-long celebration, which will be presented as part of the 2009 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Both works, beyond ridiculing the most banal situations, depict in a tangible way the solitude and insignificance of human existence. Author Rosette Lamont coined the phrase "Metaphysical Farce" to define much of Ionesco's work -- a dramatic genre in which philosophical thought and political criticism were hidden under the wit and laughter of comedy.

The 65 minute one-act, described as "subtle and powerful, comic and despairing by turns," is the IRC's eighth production since the company's formation in 2006. A Streetcar Named Durang: Two Burlesques and a Nightmare, the IRC's critically-acclaimed Fringe 2008 production, enjoyed a sold-out run. The company has been gaining critical attention and building an audience since its formation in 2006, tackling difficult and rarely-produced works by Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and Edward Albee; the IRC produced Ionesco's rarely seen full-length gem Victims of Duty in March 2007. The IRC's Fringe 2008 production of Christopher Durang one-acts, A Streetcar Named Durang, was described by The Philadelphia Inquirer as "hilarious" and "eye-moppingly funny" and the Philadelphia City Paper as "magic." IRC Artistic Director Tina Brock will direct The Lesson.

The Lesson will have 12 performances at L'Étage Cabaret: a preview on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30 pm; opening Sunday, February 22 at 7:30 pm and continuing Wednesday, February 25, at 7:30 pm; Sunday, March 1 at 7:30 pm; Tuesday, March 3 at 7:30 pm; Wednesday, March 4 at 7:30 pm; Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, March 8 at 7:30 pm; Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 pm; Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, March 15 at 7:30 pm, and Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 pm. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Tickets are $18.00.

Seating is very limited; reservations are recommended: 215.285.0472 or on the website at www.idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.com.

More for more information and photos on The Lesson please contact Tina Brock at 215.285.0472. The IRC is a 501C3 non-profit organization, and a member of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance; the IRC proudly participates in the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, a program of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.