RICARDO FRAYHA
producer

The Asphalt over Earth  project is a tribute to Samuel Beckett's centenary (1906-1989). Inspired by the Irish playwright, Gerald Thomas created four pieces simultaneously:

​

​

ASHES IN THE FREEZER

 

Starred by Sérgio Groisman, for the first time in theater. Six men dressed in the same way are militant in an organization, but are not sure what the ideology is. They enlisted over the internet. Sérgio even took 16 taxis to get there, and the last taxi, by chance, was the first, so there was no use in disguise. The codename of each member is changed every 3 minutes, so that no one is sure of anything. Each one brought a suitcase and, at a certain moment, they are opened. Groisman's briefcase emits a lot of light. "Processed uranium", everyone thinks; since that would be the proposal of the clandestine organization. When everyone, in unison, exclaims URANIUM !!!!, Sérgio laughs and says: "No, this is a fire that I keep in my freezer. I came for a barbecue. At least that's what the website said. You do not?" And he talks about Auschwitz. In the end, during the crucifixion of Jesus, one realizes that the organization is nothing more than the mafia of brands, perfumes and that the bags contained essences. "Imagine, you imbeciles, if someone keeps ashes in the freezer! Everything is as crooked as it is in this country! Nobody else sees anything, or swallows what they choose to swallow, such is ignorance! And let's go to perfumes!!!"

 

ASPHALT OVER A KISS

 

a tribute to Samuel Beckett, starring Gerald Thomas. 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Beckett. Gerald Thomas, as a friend of the author and his representative in original texts staged in New York in the eighties, with an absolute success and international repercussion, describes how their relationship was based on a "crime" that occurs during a physical exercise which he himself ministers as a scenic director, "warming up" the theater group, before they enter the scene. An actor dies. It is not known whether a crime was committed. But as the investigation continues, he describes, at the same time, what his encounters with Samuel Beckett were like in Paris in the 1980s, in front of a backdrop with the famous photo published in BRAVO magazine in January 2006. Gerald realizes that the dead body, in fact, is his double, and the reporter who came to cover the crime for television, was an ex-lover (and informant of a criminal organization called the Ministry of Himself) that he confuses with others. Even so, the momentary passion takes place as a combustion. Beckett's shows are like that too, sometimes short, sometimes too long: dry and, apparently, empty. However, as in Beckett's arid vegetation, a dead body or a passion or a misused word can only be a mirage.

​

A CUBE OF ICE IN FLAMES

 

Written especially for Luiz Damasceno. Damasceno plays the role of a lady, the first lady of the national theater and cinema, who is in the middle of filming. It is a horrible B movie, but she has to play her best role because the director is her "husband" and her career is in complete decline. In the middle of filming, Dama discovers that the director has an affair with an extra (practically an amateur), and has a real outburst of hatred, and takes revenge. She goes around the city with handcuffs and a whip in his hand, through the sado-masochistic clubs in order to make conquests. She is discovered by the police, who recognize her. In her bag, the police discover human flesh ...... from Fausto Silval, Faustão, the one from TV. "But he is alive," she complains. "Just turn on the TV tomorrow, and see him. And that he wanted to make a lipo, and I got a knife ... Really." She seduces the cops and the story goes even more grotesque. It becomes comical when Dama is going to have a blood test and believes she is in a terminal state, because the result of it is something like "when some light, none. When a focus, little ..." and so on: or that is, it is not even medical terminology. It looks like a poorly copied Beckett text. "And did the doctor say more?" asks Dama's partner indignantly. "He said. He said I was supposed to look for a tree. The end is a mirage as cold as it was in those days when the world was experiencing the Cold War, the red telephone and our first lady were invited to parties in the Kremlin.

 

EARTH IN TRANCE

 

Starring Fabiana Gugli and a swan. A diva is inside a dressing room in the process of concentration and warm-up. On the radio, a politically incorrect speech in the voice of Paulo Francs commenting on the current national and international political crisis, Fabi tries, several times, to turn off the radio, but he reconnects himself. And the words hit her again. Fabi's text is playful, verbose and semi-biographical and takes us back to the universe of stars like Judy Garland or Bette Davis. Nervous, Fabi adjusts herself in the mirror, exercises at the bar, speaks by the elbows, smokes, smells, straightens her hair, sticks her ear to the wall all the time, until she hears footsteps. They pass right by. First call. A little more nervous, she continues her marathon inside the dressing room, the Jewish swan speaks, accuses, makes fun of her all the time, while she, the diva, lies (movement-in-motion) so that, one day, it turns into "pâté of was-gras" in Strasbourg. Francis interferes again, this time in a speech that brings us to Terra em Transe , by Glauber, about how and when to make the revolution through art and if this is still possible. Second call. Nothing. Steps outside and a certain noise from the audience. She tries to open the door. It's locked. She screams. Hit the door. She calls for the crew but is ignored. Fabi goes into a corner, she is afraid. Almost without action, she hears the third call and applause. Someone came on stage and is dancing. It's not her. She realizes that there is a closet in that dressing room. Open its door and ... blackout!

​

​

GERALD THOMAS

​

Gerald Thomas (1954, Rio de Janeiro) is a theatre and opera director and playwright who has spent his life in the United States, England, Brazil and Germany. Thomas began his life in the theatre at Ellen Stewart's La MaMa E.T.C. in New York City. During this period Thomas became an illustrator for the Op-Ed page of the New York Times while conducting workshops at La MaMa E.T.C. where he adapted and directed world premieres of Samuel Beckett's prose and dramatic pieces. In the early 80s, Thomas began working with Beckett, adapting new fiction by the author. Of these, the more notorious were All Strange Away and That Time starring the Living Theatre founder, Julian Beck, in his only stage acting role outside of his own company. In the mid-80s, Thomas became involved with German author Heiner Müller, directing his works in the US and Brazil, and began a long-term partnership with American composer Philip Glass. In 1985 Thomas formed and established his Dry Opera Company in São Paulo. His historical productions in the 80s and 90s placed Thomas as one of the most important and and a towering figure in Brazilian theatre. Having directed important actors such as Fernanda Montenegro, Tônia Carrero, Sérgio Britto, Ney Latorraca, Marco Nanini, Fernanda Torres, between many others. His works presented in over 15 countries and Thomas has staged commissions at the Stuttgart Opera, Munich State Theatre, Pontedera and Volterra, Graz Opera, Deutsches National Theatre Weimar, Deutsches National Theater Mannheim, Bonn Opera House, between others. 

​

​

ASPHALT OVER EARTH

​

text and direction: Gerald Thomas | cast: Fabiana Gugli [ Earth on Trance ], Luiz Damasceno [A

Cube of Ice on Fire ], Serginho Groisman [Ashes in the Freezer ], Gerald Thomas [Asphalt over a Kiss ] and Amadeo Lamounier, Andrés Pérez Barrera, Anna Américo, Edson Montenegro, Fábio Pinheiro, Gerson Steves, Juliano Antunes, Luciana Ramanzini, Milena Milena, Narciso Tosti, Pancho Cappeletti, Péricles Martins, Renata Ferraz, Sonia Lopes | assistant director: Ruy Filho and André Bortolanza | set and stage direction: Domingos Varella | sound: Edson Secco | light: Aline Santini | costume design: Antônio Guedes | sound technician: Roberta Siviero

 

production: ComCreta Produções | production direction: Isabela Carvalho and Villy Ribeiro | production assistant: Carolina Maroni | production intern: Ricardo Frayha | associate producer: Pequena Central Produções

​

Realisation: Sesc São Paulo

Sponsorship: Eletrobrás

Sesc Vila Mariana

São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Premiere 27/04/2006