D. MARIA II NATIONAL THEATRE FINAL SEASON OF 2023 HAPPENS IN ALENTEJO AND ALGARVE
With its building in the center of the capital closed, the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II has been touring the entire territory of Portugal with its programming throughout 2023.
The Odisseia Nacional [National Odyssey] project began in the North of the country, where it remained from January to March, followed by the Center (April-June) and the Azores and Madeira archipelagos (July and September, respectively). Now, it arrives in the south of the country, where the programming takes place simultaneously in the Alentejo and Algarve regions.
Taking place between October and December in 26 municipalities of the South, the programming includes dozens of proposals grouped into five programmes: plays, participatory art projects, activities for schools, thinking and training events — and also an exhibition.
The Alentejo and the Algarve will host the premieres of several shows: Batalha, by João de Brito, with an original text by novelist Sandro William Junqueira; A Farsa de Inês Pereira, a reinterpretation of the Gil Vicente classic by Pedro Penim; Homo Sacer, a joint Bestiário/Maria Gil creation; and La vie invisible, a text by Guillaume Poix directed by Lorraine de Sagazan.
The Peças [Plays] programme also includes shows that have premiered earlier this year in other regions: discover-what?, created by Estrutura (Cátia Pinheiro and José Nunes) and Dori Nigro; O Misantropo - by Hugo van der Ding and Martim Sousa Tavares, a reworking of Molière’s classic, directed by Mónica Garnel; Nau Nau Maria, created by Alice Azevedo; Viagem por mim terra, by Venâncio Calisto; or which premiered at the D. Maria II last year, and which now joins Odisseia Nacional: Ainda Marianas.
Several participatory artistic projects, which summon the local populations of different municipalities, will take place in these two regions, activating them in dimensions such as heritage, landscape and people. These projects are coordinated by various artistic organisations from across the country: UMCOLETIVO, Gira Sol Azul, À escuta, Guarda Rios, Lugar Específico, Pele, Formiga Atómica, Burilar, Ondamarela, Marina Palácio e Amarelo Silvestre.
In addition to the sessions for schools of several of the shows, the National Odyssey includes a line-up entirely dedicated to children and young people, consisting of plays (Falas estranhês?); theatre workshops that explore the themes of the shows descobri-quê?, Homo Sacer, Ainda Marianas in depth; Primeiro Andamento, a show in the form of a guided tour behind the scenes of historical theatres, a theatre workshop and training for nursery teachers.
The educational component of this project is also affirmed by the Nexos programme, with various training courses dedicated to cultural professionals and others for artists, with and without disabilities and the deaf.
In Loulé, it will take place a thinking event reflecting on this Odissey’s journey and its potential legacy – Future Scenarios –, bearing in mind the challenges of the future.
The exhibition Quem és tu? – Um teatro nacional a olhar para o país [Who are you? - A national theatre looking at the country], curated by Tiago Bartolomeu Costa, offers a wide look at the history of the D. Maria II National Theatre, relating shows, events and characters throughout the 20th century in this cultural institution.
With this project, the D. Maria II National Theatre is intervening in regions where there is already a strong creative dynamic, but is also being a catalyst for the cultural life of communities where there is less access to artistic practices, with particular focus on the interior of the country, contributing to the development of cultural democracy.
Get to know the entire programme of the National Odyssey, in detail, at www.tndm.pt.
