Survey of paulistano stage: former theater buildings (from de middle of the nineteenth century to the end of the First Republic)

Abstract

The project aims to make an unprecedented inventory of theatrical buildings in the city of São Paulo from the mid-nineteenth century until the end of the First Republic. It has been indicated that, especially in the early decades of the twentieth century, several theaters were built in the city due to the growth of population that in the theater found an important form of recreation. Buildings such as the Santana Theatres (more than one), Teatro Sao Paulo, Variety Theatre, Apollo Theatre, among others, urgently need to have their stories investigated. The gathering of information about these and many other buildings will make known architects and contractors involved in the construction process, as well as examine architectural styles, understand the dynamics of urban infrastructure and map the theatrical activities in the city identifying the capital invested in the activity, which companies made use of these spaces, the most popular genres, the search for innovation and many other theatrical elements that will contribute immensely for the better understanding of this period of theater in Sao Paulo so little studied. Research sources for this project are essentially: newspapers and magazines published during this period, almanacs, memories of former residents and visitors, essays, official documents (notary), collections of existing photos in public and private collections, bibliography (scanty) on history of theater in Sao Paulo in the period covered, stories of Sao Paulo. The project envisages the creation of a database on the website of CCS UM (Laboratory for Information and Memory, Department of Theatre Arts at ECA / USP) in which all information available will be enrolled, as well as the analysis performed from the data obtained. (AU)