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‘Ycatu – Gutes Wasser’: Play Performed by a Brazilian Drama Group in Grips Theater Berlin

June 25th, 2014
Brazilian Play.jpg

News from Berlin - On Tuesday morning, at 11 am, the Brazilian drama group “Paidéa Associacao Cultural” from Sao Paulo premiered its play “Ycatu – Gutes Wasser” (good water) in partnership with Grips Theater Berlin. Born in the favelas of Sao Paulo, this cultural association started its activities in a storehouse before becoming one of the most important and influential drama groups for children in Brazil.

The play, originally written for children in order to provide them with a better understanding of water use, lasts only fifty minutes but gives a bright and colorful insight towards Brazilian children theatre making. Children learn more about the waste of water and the possibilities to save it more effectively. During the play, repetitively, several advices in the form of short sentences are given. The play is written and represented in Portuguese language but the German audience is able to follow all conversations by means of a screen with explanations in German language.

The play shows actors who are about to rehearse for a play. In other words: the actors put themselves into the role of actors. While rehearsing, the actors are getting interrupted by mythical Brazilian creatures that are intimately connected to the nature’s elements. The actors make water as a livelihood accessible to the audience and make them understand the necessity of saving and correctly treating the planet’s water resources. Of course, water as an object is omnipresent during the play as well as the nature’s colors such as green, blue or yellow. In addition, the audience gets to listen to Brazilian music throughout the whole play. A small band arranged on one side of the stage plays very enjoyable and entertaining Brazilian rhythms.  

Germany and Brazil have been working together for the second time in the field of children and youth theatre making. Grips Theater Berlin for the first time represented a play in September 2011 at the International Festival for children and youth theatre. The third common project to be realized is planned for 2015.

After all, is a pleasant way of practicing cultural exchange by theatre making. Even though the play is dedicated to children, adults can be positively surprised by these enthused actors working on this very urgent and important issue of water use and waste in the world.

News from Berlin - Berlin Global