Old structures for contemporary theatrical productions: a warehouse, an arena and a thrust stage

Abstract

In this article we seek to understand the role of architecture in the theatrical process and the uses of old structures to house three contemporary productions: Zé Celso staged Os Sertões (The Hinterlands) in 2007 in a huge warehouse near the wharfs of Rio de Janeiro’s Docklands where he arranged the building as if it was his own Oficina Theatre in São Paulo; Miguel Vellinho staged Peer Gynt (2006) at the readapted SESC Copacabana Arena, and the Brazilian performance of Romeo and Juliet directed by Gabriel Villela was staged in 2000 at the reconstructed Globe Theatre not far from the real spot of the Shakespeare’s Globe. This version of the play combines circus acts, music, dance and Brazilian folk culture with the traditional story of the unlucky lovers. The perfect inner space of the playhouse and its architecture are discussed through the analysis of the many possibilities explored by Villela, who reinterpreted the spaces surprising the audience with a car on the stage.