Confabulations of women stage directors from Minas Gerais

a brief reflection on the empowerment of women scenic artist in decolonial times

Abstract

This paper briefly presents a critical debate about the role of Brazilian female performing artists, focusing on directors working in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It discusses the work of Cida Falabella, director and actress from Minas Gerais, who also has a long history as an educator and political representative in the city, and the Chilean director, scholar and lecturer Sara Rojo, based in Belo Horizonte for over two decades while working with several groups and artists from Minas Gerais. The manuscript sought to legitimize, make visible, and insert these artists in the history of contemporary Brazilian theater, with the purpose of shining a light a decolonial vision of erasure of women in roles of command and theatrical creation. In addition to this focus, I present, finally, a brief survey of a list of women directors from Minas Gerais, who have worked in the last three decades, as a relevant and necessary initial record for future studies on the subject.