The play by American playwright Terrence McNally is based on the famous seminar taught by Maria Callas at the Juilliard School of Music in New York in the early 1970s. These lessons were recorded, and photographs of her teaching in pants and glasses circulated around the world.

On this material, the author creates a captivating dialogue between Callas, her students, and herself. The great diva, at the most critical juncture of her life, appears radiant and imposing, tough yet vulnerable, caustic but also unexpectedly funny as an educator.

Sometimes frustrated and sometimes impressed by her students, she reflects on the glories of her career and personal life. She remembers the difficult years of the Occupation in Greece, the ugly duckling she was in her youth, her escape to Europe, her transformation, her rise, the intense hatred from her opponents, her triumphs at La Scala, and her relationship with Aristotle Onassis.

The lesson ultimately becomes a monologue about the sacrifices made at the altar of art. The new translation of the play is by poet Stratis Paschalis, who sought to remain faithful to both the style and the letter of the original text, preserving its nerve, energy, sharp humor, and passion.