"Macacos" and its juxtaposition to narration

Abstract

The dramatic text known as Macacos, written by Clayton Nascimento — who is also the theatre-maker and actor that takes the same title —, shows fragmented episodes that reveal the violence inflicted on Black people, especially in Brazil. This paper analyzes the tools used to share Black people's experiences through Nascimento’s stage performance and traditional African narrative practices; paired with Lehmann’s (2017) concept of postdramatic theatre. The work combines features from dramatic, lyric, and epic genres; with the latter being the central one in this construction. The epic traits highlight the narrative crisis previously described by Walter Benjamin (1987), linked to the loss of experience as a means of sharing wisdom. Through dialogue with Soraya Patrocínio’s idea of Black theatre (2021) and the African traditions described by Amadou Hampâté Bâ (2010), it is possible to see how Macacos breaks with contemporary ways of sharing information that lack historicity, which contributes to the fight against the structures of racial violence. The play shows the narrative’s potential and the theatre as a practice of exposure, especially when addressing themes such as police violence and the lack of equal access to education in Brazil. Keywords: Macacos. Clayton Nascimento; Black dramaturgy; African traditions; Narrative.