Risk in Theatrical Performances in the City: Creating Impact and Identities

Abstract

This chapter reflects on theatrical experiences in public spaces, experiences that are the result of my work with various theatre arts groups and collectives in Brazil over the last twenty years. My investigations have always been related to the creation of performances that appropriate (occupied) urban spaces, particularly places where there is substantial movement of people. The overall objective of these experiments in setting scenes in public spaces is to interrupt the attention of passersby, creating a rupture with their usual routines and daily lives. These actions are therefore linked to a larger discussion about the production of identities in the city: social identities, spatial identities, and cultural identities within a context of urban spaces as contested territories.