Theater piece “Esperança na Revolta” (Hope in the Revolt), an all-black production, takes stories of resistance to the stage in Rio de Janeiro

Note from BW of Brazil: While it may still be true that the “revolution won’t be televised”, you CAN get a nice glimpse of it on stages across Brazil. Because it is on the stage where a revolutionary black protagonism is slowly taking shape. Yes, Brazil DOES have a vibrant black theater in which black actors, singers, writers, directors, producers as well as audio-video crew are building a reputation for bringing black thought and the black perspective to the spotlight. And these talents can no longer be ignored. Today, I bring to you an award-winning theater piece that returns to the stage in Rio de Janeiro. In coming articles, there will be more award-winning black talent that will once again point out the absurdity of the continuing dictatorship of whiteness in Brazilian film and television. 

Show “Esperança na Revolta” (Hope in the Revolt) takes stories of resistance to the stage of Teatro Armando Costa in Rio de Janeiro

By Laís Monteiro

The show “Esperança na Revolta” (Hope in the Revolt) is the leader of the nominations for the Prêmio Shell (Shell Theatre Award), there are three of them, and will be re-released Friday, January 15, at 9:00 p.m., and shown on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays, at 7:30 p.m., until the 24th of this month, at Teatro Armando Costa, at Escola Técnica Estadual de Teatro Martins Penna in Rio de Janeiro.

Music, entertainment and play come together on stage and bring life to the piece. Approaching war in various aspects and different points of view, in various world contexts, what is at stake is the human being in the face of the violence of his time and how he reacts and survives it. There are seven real and fictitious stories in contexts of contemporary wars in the world, in a daring, dynamic and visceral setting, translating into total perplexity in sounds, acts and movements.

Freedom? Love? Survival. The stories are told by actors Alex Nanin, Cláudia Barbot, Cátia Costa, Tarso Gentil, Daniel Vargas, Lívia Prado, Nádia Bittencourt, Beà, Reinaldo Junior, with the aim of showing how violence affects everyone, even at different scales and that the only certainty is that there are no winners, but for some there is still some hope left. From various characters, these actors sing, tell, play, dance, play and experience war stories.

Looking at the world sphere answers questions raised by capitalism and globalization, where migration, genocide against minorities, individualism, consumer culture, media manipulation and attempts at hegemony are realities. The play shows the perplexity of the interests of those who promote wars, translating, scenically, into acts, sounds and movements. Music is more than a present element, it is a character that is performed live, guiding each plot and its context.

The piece is from the artistic collective Confraria do Impossível and the unprecedented assembly is done as a project of resistance. Totally idealized, produced and led by a black team. The sum of the text and direction of André Lemos, the general artistic direction of Hilton Cobra, better known as Cobrinha of the Cia dos Comuns, the scenic supervision of Vilma Melo (first black actress to win the Shell award) and dramaturgical supervision of Rodrigo França, (playwright and award-winning actor), result in a potent show that sets out to be a milestone in the history of the country’s black theater.

“The state of war, regardless of the place or culture is always alive, especially in us, blacks and favelados (residents of favela slums). In some moments and places more critical, in others only in wreckage or memories. A human identity without borders. The main resistance that is made in this project is an assembly totally idealized by blacks who propose to universalize the body and ideas of black people in any dramaturgy or character breaking with any type of stereotype,” says director André Lemos.

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET

CONCEPTION AND DRAMATURGIA: Confraria do Impossível

GENERAL SUPERVISION: Hilton Cobra

SCENIC SUPERVISION: Vilma Melo

DRAMATIC SUPERVISION: Rodrigo França

TEXT AND DIRECTION: André Lemos

Cast: Alex Nanin, Beà, Cátia Costa, Cláudia Barbot, Daniel Vargas, Lívia Prado, Nádia Bittencourt. Reinaldo Junior and Tarso Gentil

MOVEMENT DIRECTION and BODY PREPARATION: Cátia Costa and Reinaldo Júnior

MUSICAL DIRECTION: Béa and André Lemos

AUDIOVISUAL: Rizza Habitá

DIRECTOR ASSISTANTS: Camila Barra and Médrick Varieux

PROJECTION OF LIGHT: Rommel Equer

MUSICS: AnarcoFunk and Confraria do Impossível

ARRANGEMENTS AND MUSICAL RESEARCH: Béa

STAND-INs: Tati Vilela and Wayne Marinho

SCENARIO: Tarso Gentile

COSTUMES: Confraria do Impossível  and Cashew Bezerra

ACCESSORIES: Rubens Barbot

THEORETICAL ORIENTATION: Simone Kalil

GRAPHIC DESIGN: Maria Júlia Ferreira

LIGHT OPERATOR: Beto Correa

SOUND AND AUDIOVISUAL OPERATOR: Rizza Habitá

EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION: Tati Vilella

PRODUCTION SUPERVISION: Paulo Mattos

PRODUCTION DIRECTION: Confraria do Impossível

REALIZATION:  Confraria do impossível and Terreiro Contemporâneo

ARTISTIC COLLABORATION: Camila Barra, Ana Barbara Vila Nova, Lu Lopes, Thiago Vianna, João Nazaré, Robson Freire, Marlúcia Fernandes, Diego de Abreu, Patrícia Ubeda, Marcos Marján, Amanda Palma, Marcela Gobatti e Graciana Valadares.

Source: Desabafo Social