Palcos Políticos: Activist Theater in São Paulo, Brazil, at the Turn of the Millenium

São Paulo, Brazil, boasts one of the most dynamic theater scenes in the world. While it is generally agreed that an engaged, activist theater once existed there, it is widely held that meaningful, sociopolitically engaged dramatic production ceased with the end of the military dictatorship in 1985. This book contends that activist theater is in fact thriving and that recent years have seen significant growth in dynamic, engagé theater in São Paulo. After laying out a theoretical framework, this book examines how two of the greatest names in activist theater, Augusto Boal and Bertolt Brecht, interact and how they fit into the broader context of theater history. Chapters two and three examine two specific activist theater troupes in depth: Folias d¿Arte and Teatro União e Olho Vivo, the latter more established and working in poor peripheral neighborhoods and the former relatively new and centered in the bustling center of South America¿s largest metropolis. Chapter four offers a more panoramic view of the current state of the overall contemporary activist theater scene in São Paulo, clearly showing that sociopolitically engaged theater is alive and well in that city.