Fifty-six shows, exhibitions, training, including initiatives for schools, are on the D. Maria II National Theater's program for 2024, which will once again have Lisbon on its schedule, but without passing through the Rossio building.
“A very particular year for D. Maria II”, is how the president of the board of directors of D. Maria II, Rui Catarino, defines 2024, claiming that it will be a year in which the institution “will reflect on its mission with a team and partners”, after work throughout the Portuguese territory in 2023, following two years of pandemic, with renovation work underway in the headquarters building.
“In this year of continuation of Odisseia [Nacional] but also of the return of the program to Lisbon, we are preparing the reopening of the historic Rossio building, and also the construction of what will be a new theater, without physical existence, but no less tangible” , writes Rui Catarino at the opening of next year’s schedule.
This new theater is what the team wants, “more national than ever”, based in Lisbon, but “with a permanent presence throughout the country, based on long-lasting relationships with local authorities, municipal theatres, artistic structures, school groups and other forces of the country”, in conjunction with “other cultural policy tools, such as the Network of Portuguese Theaters and Cinemas and the National Arts Plan”.
“More than a simple temporary program”, the National Odyssey “has been a cultural catalyst in territories where access to artistic practices is especially limited”, noted the artistic director of D. Maria II, highlighting that the extension of the initiative in 2024 it came about “as a natural decision”, maintaining the five tour programs and the “Who are you?” exhibition.
The 2024 season begins on January 11th, with the opening conference “Anticipate the future”, in the Algarve municipality of Lagoa.
The first show to be presented in the 2024 season, which will cover 38 municipalities of the 98 covered in 2023, is “A farsa de Inês Pereira”, by Pedro Penim, based in Gil Vicente, on January 27th, in Amarante.
While in 2023 the National Odyssey tour was divided into specific areas and dates, in 2024 there will be a greater geographical dispersion of the presentations.
Thus, in the first quarter of 2024, there will be initiatives in Lagoa, Amarante, Barcelos, Braga, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Guimarães, Lisbon, Vila Real, Bragança, Faro, Porto, Silves and Mirandela.
“Zoo strory”, by Edawrd Albee, “descobri-quê?”, a creation by Cátia Pinheiro, José Nunes and Dori Nigro, and “Pérola sem rapariga”, by Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida, with intervention by the artist Kiluanji Kia Henda, These are the shows to be performed in those municipalities, where training will also take place.
The Panos Festival and the shows “Batalha”, with text by Sandro William Junqueira, “Casa portuguesa”, by Pedro Penim, “Pérola sem rapariga”, “Os idiotos”, by Miguel Castro Caldas, and “Terminal (O Estado do mundo) )”, project by the company Formiga Atómica, are scheduled for the second quarter of 2024.
Lisbon, Leiria, Caldas da Rainha, Grândola, Mértola, Pombal, Portalegre, Figueira da Foz, Torres Novas, Aveiro, Lamego, Porto, Loulé and Idanha-a-Nova are the municipalities on the Nacional D. Maria itinerary, from April to June 2024, while in July there will be shows only in Lisbon.
The “École des Maîtres” initiative, to be held in Coimbra on September 19, “Casa Portuguesa” and “Guide to a possible country”, created by the Cassandra project, by Sara Barros Leitão, are on the schedule for September and October.
Coimbra, Pombal, Guimarães and Gafanha da Nazaré are the municipalities where initiatives will take place over these two months.
On the agenda for the last quarter of 2024 are the municipalities of Águeda, Alcanena, Paredes de Coura, Miranda do Corvo, Borba, Campo Maior, Ourique, Fundão, Coimbra, Portalegre, Faro, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Idanha-a-Nova, Faro, Montemor-o-Novo, Barcelos and Lisbon.
“Terminal (O Estado do Mundo)”, “Portuguese House”, “Guide for a possible country”, “As Castro”, by Raquel Castro, and the premieres associated with the 50th anniversary of April, which will also be part of the “Abril Abriu” (“Armed struggle”, by André Amálio and Tereza Havlícková, “25 de Abril de 1974”, by Jorge de Andrade, for the flying mala, and “I wanted to know who I am”, by Pedro Penim), are among the shows with dates and locations already scheduled for the last quarter of 2024.
“Do you speak strangely?” “Where is the war?”, two projects by Inês Fonseca Santos and Maria João Cruz, and the Theater Workshop are among the shows and training activities for schools also taking place in the last quarter, in locations yet to be defined.
The fifth edition of the Ageas Teatro Nacional D. Maria II Revelation Award, the publishing of books and the holding of the International Festival of Puppets and Animated Figures (FIMFA), still to be announced, are also on the D. Maria II program for 2024.
The Nacional D. Maria II program for 2024 was presented today, in Lisbon, by Pedro Penim, artistic director, and Rui Catarino, the president of the theater's board of directors.
Comments