Os Diletantes:

trajectory and memory of an amateur theater group in São Paulo in the 1950s

Abstract

This article aims to uncover and historically document the amateur theater group Os Diletantes, composed of employees from the Citibank in São Paulo. Drawing on biographies of some of its members and documents belonging to former participant Albanita de Paiva, the study examines how this collective emerged within a corporate environment, highlighting tensions between work, leisure, and cultural production. The analysis addresses theatrical practices, chosen repertoires, and strategies for creating an artistic space, emphasizing the ambiguity between amateurism and the aesthetic care evident in their performances. Some of the artists who began their practice in this amateur group, including Yara Amaral, Emílio Di Biasi, Antônio Ghigonetto, and Cecília Carneiro, later consolidated their professional careers, demonstrating the group’s formative significance. The methodology combines documentary analysis, biographical sources, and letters, allowing for the reconstruction of trajectories, repertoires, and experiences that would otherwise remain marginalized. The findings underscore the importance of amateur theater as a site of symbolic resistance, collective learning, and aesthetic affirmation, reinforcing the contribution of amateurs groups to the development of São Paulo’s and Brazil’s theatrical scene. Keywords: Amateur theater; Theater in São Paulo; Brazilian theater history.