Agreste Malvarosa, by Newton Moreno, is a fable about ignorance, prejudice and unconditional love. The actress Millene Ramalho invited the directors Ana Teixeira and Stephane Brodt to direct the show. The proposal for this independent project was to approach the work and the day-to-day rehearsals as they take place in the Amok Theatre, accepting the challenges of a longer, riskier process, taking Jacques Copeau’as proposal literally: “Faced with a new theatrical work, we do not ask ourselves what we're going to do with it, but what it will do to us."
The text by Newton Moreno was challenging in proposing to simply tell a story. In the Agreste (dry savannah) everything is held in the memory of the storytellers. Remembering, reliving and sharing... It is the root of the theatre.
Our first trip was to the inner “country” of these characters loaded with humanity. We advanced like explorers of unknown lands, and, little by little, we headed towards the true sertão, that of cordel (folkloric) literature, of the sun, of faith, and northeastern music that so strongly express the devotion and memory of its people. It was a path with many challenges, a veritable encounter, a crossing of the Agreste region together.
Agreste Malvarosa had its debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2010.
“...We are going to talk of a farmer in the northeast of the country...a strong, honest man. With wizened skin, there’s no telling his age. His culture was the sun, his family was the sun ..."
Author Newton Moreno
Director Ana Teixeira e Stephane Brodt
Cast Milene Ramalho and Rosana Barros
Music (creation and interpretation) Beto Lemos
Set and costume design Stephane Brodt
Lighting Renato Machado
Seamstress Dora Pinheiro
Graphic Design Alexandre Castro
Production Erick Ferraz and Millene Ramalho
