O TEATRO E A PESTE / THE THEATRE AND THE PLAGUE, PROJECT (2020)

A theatre and cinema project by John Romão and Salomé Lamas
Production: BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts
Co-production: EGEAC – Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, Teatro Viriato
Partnerships: São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Teatro Romano, Teatro do Bairro Alto, LU.CA – Teatro Luís de Camões
Media partnerships: Antena 1, Antena 2

    On April 6, 1933, at the invitation of René Allendy, Antonin Artaud proposed to the Sorbonne audience a conference with the strange title The Theatre and the Plague. Nobody foreshadowed the show that was going to take place there. The only existing documentation is presented in Anaïs Nin's Diary: 'Allendy and Artaud sitting behind a large secretary. Allendy introduced Artaud. The room was packed. (...) there are no words to describe what Artaud interpreted on the Sorbonne stage. He forgot the conference, the theatre, his ideas, Dr. Allendy at his side, the audience, the young students, his wife, the teachers and the stage directors. His face was in convulsions of anguish and his hair was soaked in sweat. The eyes dilated, the muscles tightened, the fingers struggled to maintain flexibility. Howled. Delirious. He represented his own death, his own crucifixion. People started to get chocked. Then they burst out laughing. Everyone laughed! He whistled. Finally, people went out one by one, with a loud noise, talking, protesting. When they left, they knocked on the door. (...) But Artaud continued, until the last breath.'    In April 2020, in the middle of mandatory confinement, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the theatres are empty. The conference “The Theatre and the Plague” by Antonin Artaud is reenacted.

    Geographic expansions: At the same time, and until August 23, the Theatre and the Plague becomes a text and video score, expanded to other Portuguese and foreign cities, thus contaminating geographically, like a virus, space and people, when being recreated by actors from different cities in empty theatres, with streaming. During this period, cities, theatres and actors will be announced.

2020 – Teatro Romano (Lisbon) | with Albano Jerónimo and Lídia Fernandes
4KHD vídeo, 2:39, color, stereo sound, 40 min, Portugal

2020 – Teatro São Luiz Teatro Municipal (Lisbon) | with Cucha Carvalheiro and Aida Tavares
4KHD vídeo, 2:39, color, stereo sound, 40 min, Portugal

2020 – Teatro Do Bairro Alto (Lisbon) | with Mónica Calle and Francisco Frazão
4KHD vídeo, 2:39, color, stereo sound, 40 min, Portugal

2020 – LU.CA – Teatro Luis de Camões (Lisbon) | with Igor Regalla and Susana Menezes
4KHD vídeo, 2:39, color, stereo sound, 40 min, Portugal

2020 – Teatro Viriato (Viseu) | with John Romão and Patrícia Portela
4KHD vídeo, 2:39, color, stereo sound, 40 min, Portugal