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| Cia. O Tablado | |
|---|---|
| Name | Companhia O Tablado |
| Native name | Companhia O Tablado |
| Established | 1951 |
| Location | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Founder | Maria Clara Machado |
| Type | Theatre company |
Cia. O Tablado is a Brazilian theatre company founded in Rio de Janeiro in 1951 known for its contributions to stage drama, children's theatre, and actor training. The company became a nexus for Brazilian theatrical innovation linked to figures from the Brazilian modernist and popular culture scenes, intersecting with developments in Latin American theatre, television, and cinema. Its repertory, pedagogy, and alumni influenced institutions, festivals, and cultural policy across Brazil and beyond.
The company's trajectory is embedded in the postwar cultural milieu of Rio de Janeiro, interacting with personalities and institutions such as Maria Clara Machado, Teatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro), Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Glauber Rocha, Nelson Rodrigues, and Clarice Lispector. Early decades overlapped with movements led by Antonin Artaud-influenced directors, the TBC (Teatro Brasileiro de Comédia), and groups like Arena Theatre (São Paulo), while later periods engaged with television networks including Rede Globo and film figures like Walter Salles and Ruy Guerra. The company navigated political contexts involving the Brazilian military government (1964–1985), cultural policies of the Ministério da Cultura (Brazil), and festivals such as the Festival de Teatro de Curitiba.
Founded by playwright and director Maria Clara Machado, the early years saw collaborations with actors and directors whose careers intersected with institutions like Escola de Arte Dramática (EAD), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, and venues such as Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro. In the 1950s and 1960s the company staged works in dialogue with texts by William Shakespeare, Molière, Federico García Lorca, Bertolt Brecht, and contemporary Brazilians such as Nelson Rodrigues and Ariano Suassuna. These productions attracted performers who later worked with Sergio Buarque de Holanda-era cultural projects, collaborated in television with Chico Anysio, and appeared in films by Cacá Diegues.
The repertoire combined adaptations of classics and original pieces by Maria Clara Machado, staging plays resonant with aesthetics from Teatro Oficina and the experimental currents of Tereza Rachel and Rogério Cardoso. Notable productions drew on dramaturgy that linked to works by Antonin Artaud, Eugène Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Arthur Miller, and Augusto Boal. The company's children's theatre repertoire influenced programming at Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, offerings for families at Teatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro), and pedagogical festivals curated by Fundação Nacional de Arte (FUNARTE). Touring productions participated in international exchanges with institutions like Théâtre de la Ville, Royal Shakespeare Company, and festivals including Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Festival Internacional Cervantino.
Cultural influence extended through links with Brazilian television, cinema, and pedagogy, affecting artists and institutions such as Rede Globo, TV Cultura, Embrafilme, Cinemateca Brasileira, and universities like Universidade de São Paulo and Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. The company contributed to the development of theatrical languages later evident in the work of directors associated with Antunes Filho, Zé Celso Martinez Corrêa, and Nelson Rodrigues-inspired dramaturgy. Its legacy is evident in repertory choices at institutions like Teatro Rival and in programming at cultural centers such as Sesc and SESC Rio.
Pedagogical activities included actor training influenced by methods of Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, Étienne Decroux, and Jerzy Grotowski, adapted to Brazilian contexts through collaborations with conservatories like Escola de Teatro Martins Pena and workshops at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Training emphasized vocal technique associated with Luís Sperança-type practitioners, movement practices linked to Isabel Mayer and contact improvisation introduced via exchanges with international artists, and playwriting labs that connected with festivals such as Bienal de Teatro do Mercosul.
Key figures associated with the company include founder Maria Clara Machado and prominent alumni who became notable in theatre, television, and film, such as Fernanda Montenegro, Lima Duarte, Tonico Pereira, Othon Bastos, José Wilker, Nelson Xavier, Chico Anysio, Cláudio Marzo, Ney Latorraca, Betty Faria, Débora Bloch, Marieta Severo, Armando Bógus, Paulo Autran, Sílvia Buarque, Lúcia Veríssimo, Zezeh Barbosa, Cláudia Raia, Tony Ramos, Stênio Garcia, Renata Sorrah, Bete Mendes, José Mayer, Joana Fomm, Beatriz Segall, Giulia Gam, Malu Mader, Dira Paes, Graziella Moretto, Camila Pitanga, Jorge Dória and directors such as Antônio Abujamra and Gianfrancesco Guarnieri.
The company and its productions received accolades from cultural bodies including Prêmio Molière (Brazil), Prêmio Shell de Teatro, Prêmio APCA (Associação Paulista de Críticos de Arte), honors from Ministério da Cultura (Brazil), festival awards at the Festival de Curitiba, and recognition from organizations like FUNARTE, Iberescena, and municipal cultural secretariats of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Individual alumni garnered national awards such as Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro and television honors at Prêmio Contigo!, reinforcing the company's reputation in Brazilian performing arts.
Category:Brazilian theatre companies Category:Theatre companies established in 1951 Category:Culture in Rio de Janeiro (city)