Campbell, P. (2012) Traces of the (m)other: deconstructing hegemonic historical narrative in Teat(r)o Oficina Uzyna Uzona's Os Sertões. Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies. 21(2), pp. 287-311. 1356-9325.
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| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | This article focuses on the way in which renowned São Paulo-based theatre company Teat(r)o Oficina Uzyna Uzona deconstructs hegemonic historical narrative in their 2000 - 2007 25 hour-long production of Euclides da Cunha’s seminal Brazilian novel Os sertões (“Rebellion in the Backlands”), an account of the War of Canudos (1896-1897), the first major act of State terrorism carried out by the nascent Brazilian Federal Government on the country’s subaltern population. The Teat(r)o Oficina’s epic adaptation fuses events from the colonial period, the military dictatorship and contemporary 21st Century São Paulo to relate the repetitive cycles of misappropriation, oppression and resistance that have characterized the history of Brazil and its people over the centuries. However, any fatalistic view of victimhood as an essential aspect of Brazilian subjectivity is radically challenged by the vibrant, rhythmic, material impact of the theatrical super-signs underpinning the performance text. Drawing on Julia Kristeva’s notion of the semiotic - the pre-linguistic, illogical, rhythmical materialism of language intimately related to a primordial relationship with the abject mother – I shall suggest that it is the rhythmic, libidinal force of the performance and its extensive use of the cultural manifestations of Brazil’s subaltern population that imbues Os Sertões with the silent presence-as-absence of the abject Brazilian (M)Other – the Black, Indigenous and Mestiza matriarchal line whose alternative discourse is often barred from hegemonic accounts of Brazilian historiography. Her silent heritage is embodied on stage by the members of the Oficina, who reclaim an alienating national heritage for themselves by transforming the often tragic tale of Brazil’s past into a joyous celebration of tenacious vitality. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Teat(r)o Oficina Uzyna Uzona, Os Sertões, Brazilian Theatre, subaltern, Spivak, Kristeva |
| Subjects: |
P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater > PN2041 Performance studies P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater > PN2219.3 Special regions or countries > PN2445 South America > PN2471 Brazil |
| Creators: | Campbell, Patrick |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
| Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: | Faculties > Faculty of Arts, Science & Technology > Journalism, Media & Performance |
| Date: | June 2012 |
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Page Range: | pp. 287-311 |
| Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies |
| Volume: | 21 |
| Number: | 2 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/13569325.2012.694806 |
| ISSN: | 1356-9325 |
| Status: | Published / Disseminated |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/4484 |
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