Nelson Rodrigues and melodrama in contemporary theater: the transposition to the stage of Escravas do amor, by the Rio de Janeiro theater company Fodidos Privilegiados

Abstract

This study aims at examining the way in which Fodidos Privilegiados, a theatre company from Rio de Janeiro placed into the context of the collaborative work of contemporary theatre, transposed the feuilleton Escravas do amor to stage, scenically intensifying the melodramatic elements present in the original text. By means of the theatrical resources unique to the company’s aesthetics – use of choreographed pieces, tableau vivant, narration, economy of scenery and props -, which are used in almost all their plays, the staging of Escravas do amor is an adaptation of the 530 page feuilleton written by Nelson Rodrigues under the pseudonym of Suzana Flag. Thus, this study strives to analyze how Fodidos Privilegiados staged feuilleton characteristics such as abyss construction, deception, ruse, places related to the plot (cottage, forest, lodge and castle) and characters such as the traitor, the avenger, the victim and the fool, through melodramatic elements like use of music, face and body miming, large movements and exaggerated use of voice. The studies carried out by Silvia Oroz, Marlyse Meyer and Jesu?s Marti?n-Barbero are used as theoretical underpinning with regard to melodrama and feuilleton. Keywords: contemporary theatre; theatre company from Rio de Janeiro; melodrama, feuilleton; Nelson Rodrigues