Abstract

The dissertation seeks to comprehend specific elements of Brazilian identity encoded in Antunes Filho's 1980s adaptations of four plays by Nelson Rodrigues. The study is from the perspective of a dramaturg and culminates in a hermeneutic approach. It historicizes certain ideological and artistic aspects of Antunes' career trajectory that led Antunes to create a uniquely suitable aesthetic for the Brazilian theatre, to promote Brazilian literary culture and to elevate social consciousness in his actors. It examines a sampling of national characteristics and values that Antunes appears to highlight in his prismatic pursuit of a Brazilian style of theatre—a theatre geared towards the twenty-first century, yet set against the backdrop of Brazil's troubled re-emergence from military authoritarianism towards responsible democracy. By staging the mythopoeic side of Nelson Rodrigues, Antunes amplifies Rodrigues' ability to capture his nation's anxieties and aspirations—both worldly and cosmic—provoking a widespread positive reconsideration of Rodrigues' dramatic importance.

The dissertation includes a discussion of Nelson Rodrigues' career, and information about the development of Antunes Filho's Center for Theatre Research in São Paulo (from whence the Nelson Rodrigues adaptations emerged). It also devotes space to the relevance of Antunes Filho's landmark stage production of Macunaíma that premiered in 1978 and continued performances through the 1980s. Appendices include detailed chronological listings of Antunes Filho productions, Nelson Rodrigues plays, and sound design cue lists for the adaptations.