Theater of the Sacred: Resistance in the Zona Sul

Acknowledgments

The genesis and development of this project would not have been possible without the key contributions of the following people and groups:

I have to give a special abraço (hug) and agradecimento (thanks) to Cleydson Catarina, Uberê Guelé, and Teatro Terreiro Encantado. They welcomed me into their community and home where they shared their art, food, and time with me and my wife. This project would never had started without their openness to share so many details about their theater group and the work they do in their community. I also want to thank Cleydson specifically for the conversations he had with me about the play and his work as an activist artist. 

I want to thank Fernando Solidade Soares for sharing and giving me permission to use his beautiful photographs of the Auto do Negrinho play. They provided so much context and depth for this project and provide the reader a front row view into the important work being done by Teatro Terreiro Encantado.

I want to thank Cezar Felix for giving me permission to use his beautiful photographs of the Arturos Community in Contagem, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. They were essential in providing context for understanding role of the congada tradition in the Auto do Negrinho play.  You can learn more about Cezar Felix's efforts to use photography to promote the culture and nature of Minas Gerais state, Brazil at his website: https://revistasagarana.com.br/ and instagram handles: @cezarfelixfotos and @revistasagarana.

I want to thank Dr. Marilyn Thomas-Houston and the Afro-PWW team for their technical support on this project. Their feedback during meetings and guidance during the development of this project were so important.  I also want to thank Dr. Maryemma Graham and the Black Book Interactive Project (BBIP) team at the University of Kansas.  Participating in the BBIP IV: Digital Publishing Program made it possible to bring this project to life. 

I want to acknowledge the Fulbright Program for providing me with funding to go to Brazil in 2022 as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to conduct research with artist communities in the periphery of São Paulo. That research provided the foundation for this project. 

Finally, I want to thank my wife and academic partner, Dr. Marina del Sol. She planted the seeds to help me develop the ideas that would become this project on Teatro Terreiro Encantado.