It is a theatrical company that tries to present unusual texts and plays that do not only refer to the succinct term of theater show, but which above all try to reflect and enthuse the public to visit and revisit the stage more than once in the name of culture. A particular way of being in the artistic world that begins with a simple idea, a phrase, a fraction of reality, or a film, as is the case of the new research called "swallowing frogs".
Why choose a theme related to the gypsy community and the title "swallowing frogs"?
Fernando Giestas: Well, I wanted to address the relationship between the majority of the community where we belong, while Portuguese and white, and another considered the minority of minority, very present in Portugal and not always with an adequate relationship with society. The inspiration for this work would not have arisen had I not been aware of the presence, the impact that a simple porcelain frog has on the daily life of our lives, from a landmark that was the short film by Leonor Teles entitled "The Ballad of the batrachians". In it, the theme of frogs in shops in Portugal is dealt with in a well-done way, and in the end, it is intended to tell the gypsies that they are not welcome. What matters is that the porcelain objects is there, that it is present and much worse than that there is a frog that is inside us. It is not because it is not physically that it is not undermining in this same relation between people, that is, an interaction marked by a great border between us and them, there is a mutual ignorance on the part and being this a project that does not try to glorify or not at all, tries to look from the outside, tries to perceive how prejudice is manifested in the public. There is also a great deal of restlessness in ourselves when it comes to "swallowing frogs", because we also have day-to-day lives in Canas de Senhorim, in many commercial places there are frogs and how did we confront ourselves with it? How did we come to terms with that? We know from the frog that certain people are not welcome and we continued to agree with the situation, because I'm not going to stop going there, but deep down I'm condescending to that prejudice, is not it? Then in Canas de Senhorim, Nelas and Viseu there is a whole gypsy community present and things do not always work in the best way. This is where the interest comes from.
So, what comes out of this reflection?
FG: We must live more peacefully with the difference in the society in which we live in, because it is a good thing, which incites us to know, to go, otherwise we do not go out to see anything. The difference can have this beautiful side of seeking to meet other people, or other realities that is good, because we can enrich ourselves with this heritage. The project intends to see the world together with my daughter who is eight years old and what I have done with her is to buy the frogs and I see how a child looks at this that has its beauty, which is not a toy, but it has all this associated prejudice and in the world, there are many things that are not just what they are. I try to see the world through the gaze of this child so predisposed to look at things in a simple way and without great barriers, or walls that keep her away from other people. I try to build an idea from a childish perspective, somewhat naive, hoping that everything can be different and beautiful. It is an optic of ours, but things are not always like this, there is also the unhappiness and friction that are part of reality and I cannot ignore it, I try, however, to minimize the conflict, respecting the other. I do not want to be the white Portuguese who looks at the gypsy, there must also be on the part of the gypsies that impetus of the relationship with the other, not giving up the traditions that they have that are something very beautiful. But at the same time question me about what it is to be a gypsy? It's not being dark and having a different pronunciation different from ours, it's more than that.
I'm also in this phase of research in addition to speaking with gypsies, I approached some foreigners in Portugal, namely in Viseu, I spoke with people who are also close to this reality. I talked to Brazilian women and the immense prejudice that still hangs over them. It is a burden they carry and it has to be affirmed much more, in our country it is difficult to be a woman in many cases, even more being Brazilian and trying to perceive if there are several types of people and there is this danger of generalization, but after all who are we are?
Are these interviews part of the four days you've been approaching people in the Viriato theater foyer? And where did you approach this issue of prejudice?
FG: We went to do a residency at the Viriato theater, we were in a public space, where people could come in, sit down and talk a little and what I suggested to the direction that instead of going to the rehearsal room, I did not care to be inside closed, I wanted to be in a public space putting five or six frogs on the table where people could see them, there was a moment of relationship with outer space and people would come naturally to talk to me and we would talk a little there.
Did you record these conversations and use them later for the show or not?
FG: I have registered them for myself. I'm more interested in talking to people than in designing a play. When we go to these projects and this has already happened in "What did your father not tell you about the war?" Interviews are important in terms of research, but it is not intended to be anything documentary, it is very unlikely to use part of these speeches in the show, I'm not looking for that. The concept of a play plays a reflection on the subject, but at a certain point it is just that between many quotes a "theater show". If it helps to reflect on the issues so much the better, but the artistic fruition side is already achieved. Basically, I'm a citizen and this is my way of approaching this topic, I'm not someone who has a plan to solve prejudice in Portugal, it's nothing like that, I'm someone who reflects artistically on this. If it is a show directed at families, parents and children, that will be great because it will help to think about the other. However, the idea is not to put in the show what people have said. The universe, the particularity of the discourse, the caricature of what they said can be reflected on the scene, this is all material that I will never reveal, because they are conversations in which I put my concerns, with obvious and concrete questions, simple and direct, such as what is it like to be a gypsy in Portugal? What situations of prejudice have they experienced? How did you look at the gypsy culture in our country? What I mean by this is that it is not just a "Wild Yellow" project, but that it can have several contributions from other people. I do not intend to see the world just through my head and my eyes.
And will you also indirectly use the testimonies of these foreign women in the play?
FG: Yes, indirectly. I still do not know how, as I said the documentary side will not be present, now it's still too early to say how I'm going to do on stage, if I'm going to address the Brazilian woman's situation, giving the example of a woman who goes to work to the factory and when she comes back to her vehicle they have written, "when is the program?", which means they assume that she is a prostitute, so how do you put this into the show? I do not know yet, but it's a very strong image. It is a situation that is lived in Portugal and we know is not punctual, the Brazilian woman has difficulty just as the gypsies to be respected, people distrust them, they even have difficulties renting homes and prejudice is very close in both cases.
After this do you intend to put the text on the scene next year?
FG: I do not have any obligations to that effect, I do not even have any kind of partner for this project, for example, I'm not worried about that yet. The idea is to be as free as possible and maybe it may even seem pretentious that I do not yet have an idea of what kind of show I intend to create, I have not yet formalized any request for support, nor talked to anyone, nor submitted to any kind of support from the General Directory of the Arts. On the one hand, it leaves me freer, for another more restless, but I intend to have this project on the scene at the end of 2018, or it may even be the following year. We have other ideas at hand and everything is going at its pace.
Many of your "Wild Yellow" projects are very socially impacting, such as "Mine" which "is not an ethnographic work, but is an artistic reflection with more than a hundred years". What attracted you to this theatrical project?
FG: In the "Mine" there are two people who look to the future for what we want to do, basically it is me and Rafaela Santos and although we have different perspectives of the plays, the works on stage are played. Rafaela has a more civic view, for it is clearer that the shows should approach existentialism, I agree, but I always make the reservation to address other issues such as prejudice, or war and touch on more contemporary political issues and ends up being everything there. In my private case and I do not like to talk about myself, in this company there are two heads and mine is very conditioned because it is a Portuguese father who lives his time in an attentive way and ready within my possibilities to contribute in this reflection, so that we can discuss various subjects and shed light on others that in our opinion are important. On the other hand, it has to be stage material, we are theater-makers and therefore, there must always be a component, for many of the projects and subjects that exist, from the former miners, the combatants, we liked to approach people, those outside and our natural tendency is not a path previously drawn. We know that we are going to do a project when there is enthusiasm, it is not so much because I have the means to a particular play, but rather because I am very enthusiastic and thus it is easier to persuade people to participate. "Mine" arises because we live in Canas de Senhorim and although we did not deal with this reality when we arrived there, because the mines were already closed, we still know a lot of people who worked there. It was a lifetime of toil, struggle and where various cultures intersected, as was the case of the various English administrations that were passing by when the mines were still in operation, or the nearby Urgeiriça Hotel, which housed refugees during the war and then there were many foreign people who came here to work, there is a whole relationship with the other and many ended up staying. The themes are born in this unusual way, but what moves us is our enthusiasm, we created and ended by putting together a theater show that way.
When you embark on a project, are you very obsessed?
FG: No, I'm an enthusiastic and resilient person, because doing theater in Portugal is very difficult and you can only get an idea going if you are really enthusiastic. There is no great support, the return in terms of the public is also not the best, so we must make a great effort in the show to reach people. We do not do a commercial theater, we do not have a sound name, although the themes are interesting, we should make a great effort to enthuse people to come to the theater, we also have to "seduce" the programmers to embrace the project until the moment the person buys a ticket and if you do not have the strength and do not give yourself totally is more difficult. I cannot, on the other hand, make a complete schedule of the company, for example, this project is the opposite of what I used to do, I do not even know if it's going forward, I'm sure I do because I'm going to fight for it, but I cannot make the commitment that will be in this year or X, because I can’t tell you when and how and I do not know how it will be, but there is a conviction, an enthusiasm and a certain experience that makes me more relaxed. I am more secure with my work, I can better relativize what is the theater and the arts in Portugal.
