The Syllabus
Michael Gougis’s The Syllabus is an acerbic, awesome one-man show that skewers our modern media culture through the lens of modern academia with razor-sharp wit. Gougis is astute in his observations, effortlessly blending the absurdity of academia - and the broader culture - with his biting social commentary. It’s fast, funny, and packed with surprising observations —exactly the kind of humor that sticks with you long after the curtain falls. An A+ performance
What a creative and engaging show! It took what seems like a pretty simple concept -- starting a university class during a political contentious and socially conscious time -- and built something very original and thought provoking. Kudos!
The syllabus was a hilarious reminder of all of the quirky ways a teacher can be distracted or frustrated by his students. Micheal’s performance was a one man, fun filled walk down memory lane. His anecdotes about students’ misconduct and how he perceived them had us laughing and gave my partner and I new inside jokes. It was a well rounded play, it didn’t drag on. If anything, by the end I was looking forward to what his actual lesson about media! The play had jokes they kept giving when he brought them back around again (I feel this is a key to the best comedy). The show ended with an enlightening and thought provoking monologue. Go see it for yourself.
Thank you for the fun and hilarious gift of comedy before the dark days of fall are here!
Michael broke down the role media plays in our lives in ways we rarely notice. The meta concept was illuminating and worth exploring. Highly recommend to everyone who cares about the way the world learns and reacts to knowledge.
This is why I loved the Syllabus! Professor Gougis brought to life the challenges of keeping the attention of students who have many other things on their mind. He entertains the audience with the surprising array of dos and don'ts that need to be stated to students of today. It is no wonder he somewhat jaded.
Michael occasionally gives us a glimpse into his real-life experiences, which are both surprising and interesting. And best of all, he invites questions, but not outside of class or office hours!
I so enjoyed Michael Gougis' real life tales from the classroom, and I actually learned something, too!
The Syllabus sparkles with charm and wit and I often found myself wondering - did that really happen? Is he telling the truth? Did he really have to tell his students that?
Gougis' confidence and clarity shines throughout as he transforms years in the trenches of post-secondary education into a delightful and sincere performance.
Would definitely see it again!
Wonderful performance, great true story. Highly recommended
It was funny but true.
Brilliantly exposes the man pulling the levers behind the curtain in modern media. This funny and thought provoking "first day in class" at a community college, kept me laughing and at the same time reexamining the world around me. Prof G earns a perfect grade.
I saw this show at the Nanaimo Fringe Festival a few weeks ago. Prof. Gougis is genuinely funny. I wish I’d had him as a professor when I was in college. He tries to play the grumpy professor character, but you can tell he really does care about his students. His stories about his time as a reporter are really funny, but they are also truly disturbing. I laughed a lot, but I'm still thinking about some of the things he said. I plan to see the show again at the Vancouver Fringe.