Genealogia do teatro de improviso em Portugal: as sementes lançadas pela «geração sem fronteiras» dos anos 90

Abstract

Despite the late consolidation of improvisation theatre in the country, the Portuguese artistic scene has seen the emergence in the last two decades of several impro companies with different approaches – many of them acquiring significant recognition among the public. However, the mapping of this practice and its relationship with the historical‑cultural Framework with which it is necessarily linked was never done before. This article contributes to fill this gap, not only tracing its genealogy in the context of contemporary history of the performing arts in Portugal, but also in the wider context of Portuguese socio‑cultural development since the Revolution of April 25, 1974. More specifically, the research in which this article is based upon allowed us to identify a significant correlation between the process of theatrical renovation initiated by the generation of the 1990s and the precursors of this genre in Portugal. In this context, it stands out the role of Companhia do Chapitô, which inspired and provided the technical bases for many of the actors who later would dedicate themselves to the development of impro theatre. Following the genealogy review of this genre in Portugal, this article also contributes to the reflection on the nature of the dialogue that is established between the practice of impro and the cultural and political framework in which it manifests itself.