Mentor: A Play About Predatory Teacher-Student Dynamics in Music

The play 'Mentor', written and performed by Lara Aubert at Studio Hébertot in Paris, explores the predatory relationship between a young double bass student and her virtuoso teacher. Aubert plays Lola, a gifted student who moves to Paris to study under a prestigious professor, Philippe, played by Alexis Desseaux. Initially productive, the mentorship turns into psychological manipulation as Philippe exerts control over Lola, blending love, admiration, and music. The play is inspired by Aubert's own experience; she quit music to focus on writing and theater. Directed by Bénédicte Budan, the cast also includes Sandrine Le Berre as the mother and Nicolas Biaud-Mauduit as a psychologist. The production uses a theatrical and musical quartet to depict the dynamics of power and abuse in master-student relationships.