THEATER AND ARCHITECTURE: An investigation of the play En attendant Godot based on the scenographic production of architect Jorge Caron.

• Grant number: 24/16027-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Fundamentals of Architecture and Urbanism
• Principal Investigator: Amanda Saba Ruggiero
• Grantee: Eduardo Antonio de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Arquitetura e Urbanismo de São Carlos (IAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

"Political theater" is a term advocated by scholars such as Jacó Guinsburg and Rosangela Patriota (2011), especially because it deals with dramatic art as a tool of political opposition, in this case to the military dictatorship of the 1970s, when Brazil's socio-historical context was going through the years of terror of the dictatorship. Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot is an important example of "political theater" in the country. In particular, the 1977 production, directed by Antunes Filho and with set design by Jorge Caron, is a significant study for understanding Brazilian theater, since it was an instrument in the struggle for democracy at a time of widespread artistic and ideological repression, and featured an auspicious cast made up only of women. The systematic research of this version of the show has as its primary source the personal collection of architect Jorge Caron, currently under the protection of the Library of the Institute of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo (IAU - USP). The research will allow the historical recovery of the period, through original documents that broaden the understanding of the intersections between theater and architecture. Jorge Caron's legacy, as well as the lasting influence of Waiting for Godot, reinforce the ongoing need to explore and value the union between art, politics and society. Therefore, this project aims to contribute to the study of historiography and the relationship between Brazilian theatrical scenography and architecture, as well as highlighting the importance of the theater as a space for struggle and cultural expression.