Pagu and the Group Theater

forgotten narratives in the historiography of mid-twentieth-century Brazilian theater

Resumo

Patrícia Galvão, known as Pagu, was a writer, translator, cartoonist, journalist, communist militant, and feminist. Less well known, however, is her work as a director and playwright, as well as her significant role in the development of the Brazilian theater scene in the mid-twentieth century, particularly through her contributions to the group theater movement of that time. In general, she is often remembered as a muse of Brazilian modernism. It took decades for her contributions to receive due consideration and for her achievements to gain visibility. The reflections presented here, grounded in the importance of making women’s protagonism more visible in the historiography of Brazilian theater, aim to gather and articulate information on Patrícia Galvão’s importance to the theatrical scene of her time. Special attention is given to her final decade, during which she dedicated herself to translating plays that have since become key references in contemporary dramaturgy, organizing amateur theater festivals, and promoting the careers of young artists – such as Plínio Marcos – and theater groups including Teatro Oficina and the Teatro Experimental do Negro.