History of the Arthur Azevedo Theatre in São Luís do Maranhão
The Arthur Azevedo Theatre, one of the most beautiful postcards of São Luís do Maranhão and an important theatre, was built to meet the needs of the petty bourgeoisie of the city in the nineteenth century.
Enriched by the flourishing production of cotton in the state, this class wanted a space for quality dramatic art and lyrical music performances, in conditions similar to those of the world’s major cultural centres.
Video about the Arthur Azevedo Theatre of São Luís do Maranhão
Teatro Arthur Azevedo em São Luís do Maranhão
1 Start of construction
On the initiative of Eleutério Lopes da Silva Varela and Estêvão Gonçalves Braga, wealthy Portuguese merchants who had settled in the region, work began in 1815 on the construction of the theatre, the fourth to be built in the city, in one of the noblest areas of the capital of Maranhão, then the fourth most important city in Brazil.
The original plan for this grandiose theatre was to open the doors of the temple of art onto the noble Largo do Carmo / Praça João Lisboa, with Sol and Paz streets next to it.
An imposing façade was designed to show off the grandeur of the work, while at the back was the Travessa dos Sineiros.
2. Obstacles and controversies
The construction of the theatre was hampered by the presence of the Church of Our Lady of Mount, Carmel, which housed the priests of the Carmelite Order.
The religious claimed that it was inappropriate to have a house of profane entertainment so close by, which led to a legal dispute that resulted in an embargo on the work.
So as not to displease the population, who longed for the space, the judge Antônio Ferreira Tezinho, also a priest, allowed the work to continue, but imposed conditions that in some way detracted from the splendour of the artistic temple.
The theatre was then rebuilt in 1816, with its main façade facing Rua do Sol, missing out on the city’s natural ventilation.
3. Architectural features
The building, although cramped and squeezed between other buildings, was considered by the locals to be a tasteful environment. The neoclassical style, introduced to Brazil by the French artistic mission brought by King João VI in 1816, is one of the theatre’s most striking features.
4. Opening and date
It took only one year for the theatre to open its doors. On 1 July 1817, the Teatro União was inaugurated, two years after the incorporation of Brazil into the United Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarve, which gave the building its name.
Based on the so-called horseshoe Italian Theatre, the building has a central space with an excellent frontal viewing angle and four orders of vertical spaces: frieze, box, balcony and gallery, as well as a government box, totalling 800 seats.
Since its inauguration, the União has experienced periods of great success and crisis, even closing its doors for long periods.
In 1852, the theatre was renamed the São Luiz Theatre, with the arrival of a theatre company from Portugal. In 1854, the first Masked Ball was held, an unprecedented event with great repercussions in the province.
5. The life of Apolônia Pinto
That same year, on June 21, the theatre was the birthplace of Apolônia Pinto, the daughter of a Portuguese actress who went into labour during a performance.
In dressing room number 1, one of the great actresses of Brazilian theatre was born. At the age of 12, she enchanted audiences with the play “A Cigana de Paris“.
Apolônia Pinto died in November 1937, at the age of 83, and her remains are kept in the theatre itself, in a niche with access to the audience. She was honoured with a bronze bust and a plaque commemorating her cultural career.
6. Name change and renovations
The definitive name, Teatro Arthur Azevedo, was adopted in the 1920s during the Urbano Santos government, in homage to the illustrious Maranhão playwright Arthur Nabantino Gonçalves Azevedo, one of the exponents of Brazilian theatre literature.
In times of crisis, the theatre also functioned as a cinema, and underwent several restorations that de-characterised some of its elements.
In the 1960s, the Newton Bello government cancelled the contract with the Mattos Aguiar film company, which had rented the space, and returned it to state ownership.
7. Recent renovations
In 1969, after a long period of renovation by the government of José Sarney, the Arthur Azevedo Theatre was reopened to the public with the performance of “Abraão e Sara” by amateur artists from Maranhão. At that time, the theatre received a famous chandelier, donated by the then First Lady, Marly Sarney.
During the Edison Lobão administration, a major renovation and restoration project was undertaken, making the TAA one of the most modern and well-equipped theatres in the world.
The first phase involved historical research to reconstruct the original details, followed by the modernisation of the stage, the restoration of the auditorium and the construction of two annexes for the administrative and service areas.
The theatre reopened at the end of 1993 with several modifications, and the last renovation took place in January 2002.
History of the Arthur Azevedo Theatre in São Luís do Maranhão
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