I’m far from being a theater, film or art critic, so my comment on BEAUTIFUL HOUSE is worth what it is: the thoughts of a simple spectator who may not have enough stage knowledge to understand the depth of a representation.
That said, I was invited to go see the play that has invaded the basements of Liceu Camões, in Lisbon, and has already reached the pages of some of the best-known magazines in the Portuguese capital.
BEAUTIFUL HOUSE was born from the head of Pedro Sousa Loureiro and was soon cherished and taken to the stage by him and other names that you may not recognize but may possibly hear about in a very near future: Gilvanio Souza aka Gigi, Marta Barahona Abreu, Susana Blazer, Joana Campelo and Isabél Martins Zuaa Mutange.
The result is a dialogue often (mostly) without any nexus, in strange scenarios, but with personal performances that stand out in the midst of all the madness.
From the piercing look of Susana Blazer, the charming voice of Joana Campelo or the “Nazi” presence of Marta Barahona Abreu, everyone plays an important role in this play, even if you’re not able to understand what or why … as simple as that… During all the time that the play lasted I tried to create in my head a thread, a story, a plot … but nothing…
The only thing that made sense to me was the music of Mario André Oliveira aka MAGO. His songs made the union between all the sections, created rhythm and helped in the passages. Without ever opening his mouth, MAGO plays as important a role as the other actors, who shout, jump, interact with the audience and cause dents in our intellect.
So many times I say that contemporary art is not my favorite, but with this piece I learned one thing: when we are witnessing a performance of this nature we have to stop trying to give it any meaning, as we do with more classic approaches. We have to look at the individual, at each performance separately, and only then can we see the BEAUTY that lies behind all this.
After several sessions booked full, BEAUTIFUL HOUSE will return from 1 to 17 February to the Caves of Liceu Camões.
If you’re around Lisbon on those dates, go check it out!
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