Adultério involuntário (An innocent Little Murder) in São Paulo Brasil

 Written by the French Jean-Pierre Martinez, the show directed by Elias Andreato occupies the space inaugurated in 2007, always marked by experiments.

Actors and producers Karla Mandro and Ken Kadow were looking for a text they could stage and star in. Something with a narrative that would lead the audience down surprising paths. After several searches, they found the comedy “Involuntary Adultery,” which premieres this Friday, the 23rd, reopening the Teatro Eva Herz, at Livraria Cultura do Conjunto Nacional. 

Written by the French Jean-Pierre Martinez, the play is a typical comedy of errors. The plot begins when the lawyer Eva (Karla), returning home after a day in court, is surprised by the confession of her husband, Albano (Ken), who not only murdered his best friend but whose body is still in the kitchen. Several misunderstandings arise until the arrival of Cris (Bella Tortato), Eva’s best friend and now, apparently, a recent widow.

“The play does not jest but discusses the theme of betrayal, so often represented in comedies and dramas on stages worldwide,” says director Elias Andreato. “It is possible to laugh at our misfortunes and lies. We live in a time of public discourse, but we assume another discourse in private life.”

“So many absurd things happen throughout the play that the audience not only laughs at the unexpected situation but is also provoked by the embarrassment experienced by those characters,” comments Karla. “It’s almost like a vaudeville.”

This is a characteristic of Martinez’s dramaturgy, who began his artistic career as a drummer for various rock bands before becoming a semiologist advertiser. After a period as a television scriptwriter, he returns to the stage now as a playwright.

“For us to laugh at the characters in comedy (like those of Molière) and the misfortunes that befall them, they have to be caricatured and consequently detestable,” Martinez stated to the blog Dramatur(x)ia. “On the other hand, for the audience to identify with these characters, they must remain human, that is: ambiguous, complex, and fragile. The viewer has to love and hate these characters who, in some way, represent all of us. I’m not far from thinking that the same happens with tragic characters, but the opposite: the viewer hates having to love them. Therefore, consequently, the intention of ambiguity is deliberate.”

The choice of “Involuntary Adultery” came after a selection. “We discovered several of his texts and chose this one because it adapted very well to our reality,” says Kadow, piloting an artistic adventure alongside Karla. “We had no theater, no director, and since our anxiety was great, we also decided not to participate in any call for proposals because we wanted to set up soon,” adds Karla, who contacted the French author and exposed the limitations. “He understood perfectly and released the text conveniently because he would like to see it staged in São Paulo.”

The well-crafted text also convinced director Elias Andreato to join the project, as did actress Bella Tortato. The confirmation of the theater happened unexpectedly. “I do physical training in the same place as Sergio Herz (current CEO of Livraria Cultura), and on a certain day, he asked me if there was a project that could reopen Eva Herz,” says Ken.

The space closed in June of last year when the bankruptcy of Livraria Cultura was decreed. An injunction from the STJ suspended the decision, although the continuation of an eviction order for the property in Conjunto Nacional was authorized this Friday, the 23rd.

Inaugurated on September 15, 2007, Teatro Eva Herz was the first theater in the country within a bookstore and was the stage for valuable experiments – the season of over a decade of the monologue “A Alma Imoral,” performed by Clarice Niskier, which premiered in 2008, became a milestone. The high level of programming was guaranteed by the meticulous artistic direction of André Acioli, who participated from the opening of the space (when he assisted Dan Stulbach) until its closure last year.

The spirit of experimentation can now be resumed with “Involuntary Adultery.” “The play deals with a very current issue, such as canceling, the act of people pointing fingers at others without much criteria. The text helps to reflect on how harmful this is,” says Karla.

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