ACTORS AND ACCENTS IN SHAKESPEAREAN PERFORMANCES IN BRAZIL: AN INCIPIENT NATIONAL THEATER

The main objective of this work is to sketch a concise panorama of Shakespearean performances in Brazil and their influence on an incipient Brazilian theater. After a historical preamble about the initial prevailing French tradition, it concentrates on the role of Joao Caetano dos Santos as the hegemonic figure in mid nineteenth-century theatrical pursuits. Caetano’s memorable performances of Othello, his master role, are examined in the theatrical context of his time: parodied by Martins Pena and praised by Machado de Assis. References to European companies touring Brazil, and to the relevance of Paschoal Carlos Magno’s creation of the TEB for a theater with a truly Brazilian accent, lead to final succinct remarks about the twenty-first century scenery. Keywords: Shakespeare. Performances. Brazilian Theater.