The port 27 is a theater group dedicated exclusively to comedy. The creators of this art project, Cristovão Carvalho, Susana Rodrigues and Tiago Lourenço try to reach the public through the provocation of the current customs in a humorous, ironic and amusing tone, but always with a component that promotes interdisciplinary exchange.
You say in your page that created the "Port 27" to promote a multidisciplinary exchange to give body to a project in common. What do you mean by that?
Cristovão Carvalho: We worked together, is not a company with a strong structure, we have a core that then we call, we will be in contact with other professionals so that we can get to other projects on other platforms than the theater.
Suzana Rodrigues, you write all the plays, why only choose a humorous platform?
Suzana Rodrigues: For various reasons, contrary to what is often thought I think writing with humor and writing comedy ends up becoming more difficult even for the actors that do drama, or any other type of media and theater. It has to do only with the challenge, but with the "attention" of the people, it is much easier to capture the attention of people by humor than any other type of communication and we did not invented this, "ridendo castigat mores" mean laughing punishes customs, for a long time we spoke of things in a less serious way without losing the seriousness and without fail to speak of things that we want to talk.
It is in the daily issues that you get the inspiration?
SR: Yes, we have this work "the guns, crooks and problems" that addresses the current situation of lack of employment and terms of us "getting by" with what we have. We have another show that is the "Password 44" and speaks of the difficulty of working with green receipts, in one way or another we finally address the obstacles that we feel too, that is, we have taken what this in close and open the range to include more people.
It is a reflection of the generation Y, where you are included? The plays have to do with the challenges young people face currently in Portugal?
SR: I think so, yes. We have created the "Port 27" for several reasons, one of which is to allow people from the area to collaborate with each other and can create something in common. Another thing is we approach things that we are close to a public that is not habitual consumer of theater. Of course, we have people who usually go to the theater just to see our shows, but we tried to communicate with those who are not used theatrical and attract new audiences practices.
The group began in the Maneuvers in 2011 in Porto, already has six years of existence, looking back what you think of your activity?
Tiago Lourenço: I think it's positive because we are still here. When we created the company we did not know what to expect, it was not easy, but there were always people and moments when we saw it was worth, there was public who told us to continue, full houses and have continued. This is what has prevailed these six years we have created an object that is slowly saying more to more people, then, yes, for me it was worth it.
SR: Despite the difficulties and lack of financial support, always had support from structures and entities who always opened the door for us. After six years, we can talk to people who already know who the "Port 27" is, terms recognition is very good.
What has improved? Surely that over six years there were certain practices that did not work and set aside or had to adapt, or not?
CC: The vision and how we see around us is constantly changing, what we saw in 2011 and now in 2016 there are things that have changed radically. The views we had at the time made sense and now left to do and that's how it has to be so is a sign that we are growing, to see where we want to go and we felt that we want to be and also what is the right way for us which is a bit like everyone else.
TL: Currently we think in a more cautious way, we know each other and our valences, which "Port 27" needs and wants, because in the beginning when we start is difficult to establish a brand, because people may not like. Today we know what this project, what you want and what we are. We tried that in each performance that prevails, of course there are changes and issues that make us rethink the matter, but now yes, we are more based on what we are and we hoped that people like it.
So what is the brand or identity of the "Port 27"?
CC: I think it might be the deconstruction because over these six years, one aspect that has remained in our shows and one of the links we have between us is deconstruction, in the sense that, though, the pieces are based on comedy are different and experience various types of comedy. This allows us to be able to realize that in all of them we deconstruct us what we thought at the outset that could be destroyed, that is, there was a destruction that we thought about, or we want to show that it can be otherwise, cannot be exactly that way.
SR: The example of this is the "guns, crooks and problems" where there is an actor who plays a character that nterpret an actor, he in turn also plays a character, I think there is no greater deconstruction like this and the public to see the show ends up confused from who the actor is, who is the character and who is the character the actor interpret. It is an exercise, it is a way to be aware and try to understand how these characters complement each other.
You talk about construction, then how is the genesis of your performances? Suzana, you write independently or all participate and make their contribution?
SR: So far the ideas of the shows were all mine, I propose to the group, we talk between the three of us and discuss about it. Each makes a contribution, there are other ideas and there is a first draft text that we read together and we changed, or have adapted it feel the need to change, or at the bottom despite the original idea is mine and the first and last text is done be my, the work is collective. There are always ideas in "Port 27" and when I say all, I do not speak only of the players but the tecnicians and all the people who work with us and have a say, or something to add.
It also ends up happening on stage, when they take the characters, there is room for improvisation, or you follow the full text?
CC: As we worked different types of comedy, this show of "guns, crooks and trouble" has space for that impromptu. The "Password 44" does not have much space, the presentation of this show is not as open, unlike the other plays where there is room to be an interaction of the public. Everything will depend on the project and how we initially create the show and what will be the final stage.
TL: But in the design there is a great freedom and we make games.
SR: The tests are periods of experiments, we tested a lot, there are always things that do not work and in many parts of improvisation are created moments that did not appear initially and end up being fixed in the play because emerged in trials and ran so well .
TL: We also assume that all the shows we put forward are not closed, do not cease to be in the process, which can be improved even for us, or after a public having seen it, heard opinions, that is, all the shows are constantly changing and evolution.
You make difficult comedy, so what happens when you are on stage and the audience does not laugh or not react? This is where there is improvisation?
CC: That has happened to us, a show in which all language is based on the clown language, if the public fails to laugh, there is not much to do, because all the games are targeted and designed for it may occur failed acts, but normally we tried to protect ourselves the most of the tests, to eventually result in one way or another. In fact, because of this we need the tests and we supported each other, because different visions of what we are creating will be complemented throughout the process and that always ends up resulting. Of course, it is not a 100% foolproof formula, but we tried to reduce the most of this margin of error.
There are different audiences in Portugal? In the north, Porto the public is very interactive, even when the plays are not, but it is not the case across the country.
SR: There are lots and even in Oporto there are differences. One way or another we are connected to the arts and have colleagues and directors who will see our shows. Making a play for actors is completely different than doing so for not actors because they are much more critical, they see and observe the theater of another way that the general public does not see. They are attentive to light, for example, while public note that the focus is important in a scene, but is not worried about it. The actor, on the other hand, is concerned with the angle, the type of projectors and their number and ends up losing the action and analyzes the text of a much more scrupulous than the public in general, who sees the show as a whole. In the play on the green receipts, lawyers, or other professionals are more sensitive to the text, there are parts where the audience that does not depend on green receipts laughs and the ones working with green receipts as they feel that in the skin does not laugh . In this performance of "guns, crooks and problems" there was a lady who was laugh from beginning to end in the lines about the banks and we realized that spectator works in this type of institution. People who are portrayed in the characters act differently, the experience is different and so shall revise itself in different forms in the show. When Tiago Lourenço comes with the blonde wig and looks at the audience we know just for this moment which will be public behavior in the show if they do not laugh will be a tough call.
CC: It's happened to us once.
TL: It's complicated, a show for twenty is different than for a hundred, there is the fear of laughing among themselves, there is that shame, but then when two or three people begin to laugh, everyone laughs.
SR: That's because laughter is contagious and we know it.
TL: We do not work with laughter time, although already grown accustomed to having this public support to have fun. Sometimes it is more difficult, but then people come over and say they it .
SR: Before when Cristovão spoke of the absence of laughter, there is another issue that is too difficult, was the case of a show we did in Mondim de Basto in the audience to laugh at everything and for us is a huge joy to see this reaction, we have a pre-prepared time to give 2 to 3 seconds for people to laugh and follows the scene if they do not stop for people to laugh, then the audience does not hear them and the times are all uncoordinated and have to adapt, in this case we had to go calmer and then continue with the play. It is very complicated to have a participatory public, or other than it is not at all, but prefer the laugher more.
TL: It is also part of it, we are always dealing with this issue, we do not know what we will find. With the experience we learn to protect ourselves, we advance the work and noticed how this can work almost always make the perfect formula possible for all audiences.
Which of the pieces that made that had the most unexpected reaction of the public?
CC: In a way all end up being memorable. There are shows that we can understand that people will grasp, there are others who suddenly people like certain scenes we did not expect, will always depend on how Suzana said the public, or to feel that we are presenting on stage.
SR: I try to go to the maximum possible performances and there was one in Porto when entered older people than usual in our plays and I was worried because they did not laugh and left with a bad face and I got the feeling they were public servants and should be reformed of social security because they were super offended at the end I asked if liked it and said yes with a wry smile. It happens.
TL: And we have had people who insult us in the middle of a piece that deals with the troika, because they felt offended.
CC: But that was the goal, we knew we were going to cause some anger, some discomfort, precisely because we wanted to have a negative reaction, we wanted people to revolt with everything.
SR: There was a small demonstration and it was noted that there were people who wanted to get up and to speak with them, people were even feel all that, the troika, the crisis and all this evil. The public was outraged and this for us is good, because we knew we were doing our job well, when people feel what we are feeling.
They will continue this humorous line or plan to do other plays?
CC: We continued to love the comedy, I think we should just go in another type, is not out of our plans to do comedy of errors, that is, which is entering this process and try to make a "revista”.
