“Lady Storm”, with Andréa Beltrão, ends its tour with its season at the Teatro Casa Grande; see other firsts

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— I think the Teatro Casa Grande is the ideal place to end this Rio season, because the story of the place fits very well with that of the play. Everything that happened there during and after the dictatorship is very important, says Andréa.

Marked by a trajectory of resistance, Casa Grande played a central role in the cultural and political life of Rio during and after the military dictatorship. In the 1970s, it resisted successive attempts at closure and established itself as a meeting point for the artistic and intellectual class, hosting debates in favor of democracy, Rio’s first act of amnesty and the first meeting of the Diretas Já movement. With redemocratization, he was chosen to sign the end of censorship in the country, thus becoming a national symbol of the democratic struggle. This recognition led Tancredo Neves to name it “free territory of democracy in Brazil”, an expression still preserved today in its main room.

“Lady Tempestade” is taken from the diary of Pernambuco lawyer Mércia Albuquerque (1934-2003), a central figure in the defense of political prisoners under the military regime. A little-known woman in official history, Mércia crossed police stations, barracks and courts to defend lives, in one of the most violent periods in the country.

— The playing team didn’t know her. Mercie was a great discovery. Through its history, we come into contact with personalities, moments in Brazil, Brazilians who have experienced extreme situations. This is the most beautiful part of theater, understanding aspects of our lives from other experiences, says Andréa.

The production weaves past and present by including real audio from 2022, with the testimony of a mother who lost her son to violent state action. This choice, according to Andréa, reinforces the fact that the episodes recounted do not only belong to the past.

—The big idea was to show that these things did not happen during this period. It happened, it happens and it can happen again – he said.

Despite the harshness of the theme, the play also reveals a sunny and good-natured Mercia, linked to the little joys of life. These characteristics, for Andréa, allow us to understand the depth of his political activity.

— Perhaps because she knows how to live so well, she was able to go so far in this path of defending people, often without gaining anything in return — he reflects.

Built from a personal diary, the drama transforms intimate recordings into a stage experience. Andréa attributes this path to the partnership between Yara de Novaes and Sílvia Gomez: they are the ones who found the way to transform this personal material into theater.

Since its premiere in 2024, “Lady Tempestade” has toured seven cities and given approximately 150 performances. In analyzing the success of the assembly, Andrea avoids easy explanations.

— I think there is no formula for success, it’s inexplicable. But what I see is that this woman’s story is truly impressive. And we want to know things through the stories of people who have experienced these things. Particularities: when, who, where, who were together? If there is anything we could call a brief explanation, perhaps it would be this. How far did she go, what happened to her afterwards, because we never learned of her actions, nor those of other women and men. The mystery is there, he reflects.

Closing the cycle at the Teatro Casa Grande, the actress says that she does not expect immediate transformations from the audience, but that she is betting on curiosity as power.

— I want people to leave wanting to meet Mércia Albuquerque. Maybe something almost imperceptible moves for an hour and fifteen and suddenly you start to look at the landscape differently — he adds.

“Lady Tempestade” will be broadcast Thursday to Saturday, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, at 7 p.m. The theater is located on Avenida Afrânio de Melo Franco 290, Store A. Tickets cost between R$120 and R$200 and can be purchased at the box office or on the Eventim website. GLOBO subscribers receive a 30% discount on up to two tickets.

The South Zone theater season presents a varied offering. Also in Casa Grande, also in January, Chay Suede debuts as the protagonist of “Peça Infantil – A vida e as as as opinions do gentleman Roobertchay”, a show that follows the trajectory of a character presented as Gentleman Roobertchay, in a story that mixes memories, improbable versions and episodes that cover his training from birth to adulthood. With humor, the play plays with the idea of ​​truth and invention by taking the form of a mockumentary, inviting the public to follow the adventures and misadventures of the protagonist.

At the Teatro Glaucio Gill, in Copacabana, “Felizarda” extends its tour to Rio after a good reception from the public and critics, relying on humor to reflect on the logic of hyperproductivity and communication gaps in the business world. Created by Bella Camero and Louise D’Tuani, the comedy follows a character hired by a company without knowing exactly what role, as she tries to survive in an environment marked by neuroses, unrealistic expectations and increasingly dehumanized relationships. Cecilia Ripoll’s dramaturgy constructs a tragicomic portrait of a daily life in which work and personal life merge, exposing the psychological symptoms of a society obsessed with efficiency.

Directed by Beatriz Barros, the production dissolves the boundaries between home and office, supported by a hybrid scenography and an original jazz-inspired soundtrack. The cast brings together Bella Camero, Louise D’Tuani, Felipe Haiut and Sol Menezzes, who play anonymous characters, reinforcing the idea of ​​substitutability in the corporate universe.

At the Sergio Porto Municipal Cultural Space, in Humaitá, the play “TIP (before they burn me, I throw myself into the fire)” returns to the show in January, after the success of the December season. Created and performed by Milla Fernández and directed by Rodrigo Portella, the show is based on an autofiction story inspired by the actress’s experience during the pandemic, when she found in virtual sex a way to support herself in the face of the absence of professional prospects. With acid humor, the play exposes embarrassing, painful and comic situations experienced in the world of adult entertainment, articulating issues such as image, desire, failure and survival.

After having produced around a hundred performances in 2025, “Simply had, Clarice Lispector”, performed and directed by Beth Goulart, begins 2026 with a new season in Rio de Janeiro. The show returns to the Teatro Fashion Mall, in São Conrado, consolidating its trajectory as one of the greatest theatrical successes dedicated to the writer’s work, adding more than 1.3 million spectators in almost 300 cities since its debut in 2009. On stage, Beth gives voice to Clarice and the emblematic female characters of her literature, mixing themes such as creation, silence, solitude and the mystery of existence. The result of a long research process, the production offers a sensitive and intimate experience, which crosses different generations and maintains a strong dialogue with the young audience.

“Djavan – O Musical: Vidas pra Contar” returns to Rio on a new stage, celebrating the work and trajectory of one of the great names of Brazilian music, at the Teatro Claro Mais RJ, in Copacabana. Created by Gustavo Nunes, under the artistic direction of João Fonseca, the show covers important moments in the personal and artistic life of the singer and composer from Alagoas, taking his musical creation as the main thread of the story.

Lasting approximately two and a half hours, the production brings together a repertoire that spans different phases of Djavan’s career, performed by Raphael Elias, accompanied by a cast that brings to life the real and symbolic characters of his story. The production is directed by Felipe Hirsch, who wrote the drama alongside Caetano W. Galindo, and artistic direction is provided by Daniela Thomas.

Also at Casa Grande: The play “The Life and Opinions of Mr. Roobertchay” will be created on the 15th, at the Teatro Casa Grande (Av. Afrânio de Melo Franco, 290-A, Leblon), with performances in January on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at 8:30 p.m., and Sundays, at 7:30 p.m. Rating: 14 years old. Tickets on sale at the official theater box office.

Theater: “Felizada” continues at the Teatro Glaucio Gill (Praça Cardeal Arcoverde, s/n, Copacabana), from February 14 to 6, with performances on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost R$60 (full) and R$30 (half) and can be purchased at the theater box office.

New season: “TIP” reopens on the 16th and continues until February 8, at the Espaço Cultural Municipal Sergio Porto (Rua Humaitá, 163, Humaitá), with sessions on Fridays and Saturdays, at 8 p.m., and Sundays, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost R$60 (full) and R$30 (half) and are on sale via the website riocultura.eleventickets.com or at the venue box office.

Literary stage: “Simplemente eu, Clarice Lispector” premiered yesterday and continues until March 1, at the Teatro Fashion Mall (Estrada da Gávea, 899, São Conrado), with performances on Fridays and Saturdays, at 8 p.m., and Sundays, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost R$140 (full) and R$70 (half), sold through the theater box office and Sympla.

Musical: “Djavan – O Musical: Vidas pra Contar” will begin next Thursday and continue until February 8, at the Teatro Claro Mais RJ, at Shopping Rio Sul (Rua Siqueira Campos, 143, Copacabana), with screenings on Thursday and Friday, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, at 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, at 6 p.m. Tickets start at R$19.80 and can be purchased through the Uhuu website or at the theater box office.