This study employs historical research, primarily based on oral testimonies, alongside performance theory to examine the 1969 Bucharest student theatre performance The Last Lesson (Ultima lecție) as a case study of collective creation within the Romanian theatrical context of 1945–1989. It offers a model for studying theatrical events as complex projects—encompassing the performance itself, its context, creative process, and afterlife—rather than following conventional approaches that focus on reconstructing, analysing, and evaluating canonical theatre performances, institutions, or notable career paths. The analysis reconstructs the rehearsal process based on participant testimonies and explores the theoretical foundations of collective creation, situating The Last Lesson within broader debates on authorship, improvisation, and power dynamics in socialist-era artistic production.