São Paulo – A Moor princess is part of the popular imagery and also of theatre stage in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Moor is the name given to the Arab-Berber people who conquered the Iberian Peninsula, and the story of a princess of that origin has become a popular tale in the state, and, more recently, also the subject matter of a theatre play. In 1913, João Simões Lopes Neto, a famous regionalist writer, turned a Spanish legend about the Moor princess into the tale "A Salamanca do Jarau." The story became famous, turned into a regional legend, and theatre group Companhia Teatral Lumbra de Animação put together a play on the subject.
According to João Simões Lopes’ tale, after their feats in European land, the Moors who conquered Spain sought to settle in the Americas and brought their princess along with them. A Brazilian Indian devil, however, named Anhangá-Pitã, transformed her into a gecko. But she was different from the others because she bore a precious stone on her head and changed into a woman. A sacristan found her sacristan by a lake. The gecko-princess, a sort of witch, takes the sacristan to a cave, in the Cerro do Jarau hill, in the city of Quaraí. There, he is imprisoned.
It is in this part of the tale that the version of the theatre company from Porto Alegre begins. When the native of Rio Grande do Sul Blau Nunes goes to the cave, the guardian of the cave offers him riches. Nunes does not want wealth, he wants the love of the princess, who is also known as Teinianguá. But as he leaves the cave, the guardian gives him an amulet, which brings him wealth. And he is then slandered and isolated. Nunes returns the amulet and thus frees the sacristan and Teinianguá. They form a couple and give birth to the people of Rio Grande do Sul.
“Blau Nunes mounted the horse and slowly rode downhill, his heart relieved…he was as poor as before, but he would have his barbecue in peace…and in peace he would drink his chimarrão (typical beverage), in peace his siesta, in peace his life,” goes an excerpt of the tale by João Simões Lopes Neto. The story is long and complex. The play staged by Lumbra, however, is approximately 50-minutes long and narrated by shadow theatre. The director, playwright and actor Alexandre Fávero conceived the project.
Fávero started doing research on the subject in 2005, by studying the tale. Later on, he took several field trips to the state, including to the city of Quaraí, where the Cerro do Jarau hill and the cave mentioned in the story are located, and interviewed researchers and specialists in the subject. The director had already staged another shadow theatre play, "Sacy Pererê – A Lenda da Meia-Noite," and chose "A Salamanca do Jarau" because he wanted to continue working along the same lines, and wanted a theme pertaining to the culture of Rio Grande do Sul.
The play does not have a conventional script. It features music by singer Bebeto Alves and spoken word excerpts from the original tale by Simões Lopes Neto. The shadow theatre that was used was not the traditional type either, played by actors behind a banner. Fávero combined the shadows with cinema concepts, and the play may be viewed from a movie-like perspective, with zoom and different focuses. Rather than one single banner, several screens are used. In the Salamanca play, for instance, the shadows appear in an inflatable balloon made of cloth.
The staging of the play was concluded in early 2007, and ever since approximately 60 presentations were made, in three seasons. In May, it should be presented to students at public schools in Rio Grande do Sul, as part of a project named "Lendas do Sul" (Legends of the South). The theatre company also intends to take the play to other states. The actors are Fávero, Flávio Silveira and Roger Mothcy. Fabiana Bigarella is in charge of stage production. The company is also known as "Clube da Sombra" (Shadow Club). Lumbra theatre company develops the work together with production company Clube da Sombra.
Contact:
Companhia Teatro Lumbra de Animação
Telephone: (+ 55 51) 3446.9134
Site: www.clubedasombra.com.br
E-mail: clube@clubedasombra.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
