Liberdade, liberdade: from the Brazilian dictatorship to the 25th of April

Abstract

The first production of Liberdade, liberdade (1965), staged by the Grupo Opinião of Rio de Janeiro in co-production with the Teatro de Arena of São Paulo, stood out for its formal innovation and its critical content directed against the Brazilian military dictatorship, which began in 1964. Structured as a collage of poems, theatrical texts, historical excerpts, and songs, the play articulated political engagement through direct dialogue with the audience, which ensured strong support and enabled a two-year tour, until it was definitively censored in 1967. In 1974, Raul Solnado and Luís de Lima adapted the work for the Teatro Villaret in Lisbon, during the early months of the revolutionary process triggered by the April 25th Revolution. The script was rewritten by Lima, Luiz Francisco Rebello, and Hélder Costa, incorporating music by José Mário Branco and Fausto and featuring Maria do Céu Guerra and João Perry in the cast. Although conceived to undertake a tour similar to the Brazilian one, the Portuguese version had a short season. The comparison between the two experiences seeks to understand how distinct historical contexts — one of repression and the other of political openness — shaped the dramaturgy and staging, highlighting aesthetic and ideological differences that allow for reflection on the relationship between artistic experimentalism and political engagement in theater.