What is good must continue!, street theater criticizing power and corruption

Guanajuato, Gto., The work Ubu: what is good must continue! It is a poetic, political and theatrical response to the wave of far-right that is advancing in Latin America and the world, said director Fernando Yamamoto, who, with the Brazilian company Grupo de Teatro Clowns de Shakespeare, presented among the alleys of Guanajuato in the Cervantino International Festival (FIC) a fun critique of power and corruption.

Any resemblance to reality is not a mere coincidencewarned about Father and Mother Ubü, two manipulative, ambitious and repressive rulers. Be careful, hey! Don’t let our countries become banana republics.

Yamamoto stated: It is important for us that the play be on the street and for the entire public, not just those who generally go to the theater. In Brazil, theater is an art for an intellectual elite and not many go. We are proposing a discussion for those who do not have the opportunity to discuss these topics.

He added: We strongly believe that the poetic power of theater can propose a space for dialogue that is not being achieved in other social spaces, that art can propose a reflection in a beautiful and fun way, understanding comedy, humor and laughter as a political power to discuss difficult topics in a more playful way.

In the small Mexiamora square, surrounded by colorful houses with balconies and a fountain, under the leafy shade of a couple of trees, a version closer to the Latin American reality of the classic work was presented. Ubu Reyby the French playwright Alfred Jarry, premiered in Paris in 1896.

Despite the powerful midday sun, a large and lively audience enjoyed for an hour the story of a king and his wife who, after taking power, only live to laze around and increase taxes. Even though the influencers They try to help with their good image, they do not achieve enough approval, so it occurs to them to hold a plebiscite to remain in power and silence the rebellious voices.

Similarity in Latin America

Some in the folding chairs arranged in a circle, many others standing, a few more looking for a little shade next to the walls, watched attentively. There was no shortage of people passing by, seeing so many people, they looked out, took photos and stayed for the performance. Families with small children, elderly adults, foreigners, couples in love and even a dog enjoyed the free street theater in the first time that Brazilians traveled outside of South America. We know the importance of the festivalYamamoto said about this Cervantino in which Brazil is the guest of honor.

The work was written in 2022, an election year in Brazil, when There was a risk that President Jair Bolsonaro would become religiousso the work was a poetic, political and theatrical proposal for the moment in time, created in the city of Natal, in the northeast of the country, by Shakespeare’s Clowns, in association with Potiguar Facetas and Asavessa, which joined when the pandemic ended.

The proposal they brought to the Cervantino Festival is part of an investigation that began 10 years ago. We are very interested in thinking about the relationship between Brazil and the rest of Latin America because there is a false barrier, due to language or some cultural issues.. In this spirit they want to increase relations with the rest of the continent because we were discovering similarities in beauty, and also in pain.