Theater updates history: mediations between Benjamin's historical materialism and the play Auto dos bons tratos, by Cia do Latão

Abstract

Current essay, based on the concept of epic theater and on the relationship between literature and the process of historicity, studies the play Auto dos bons tratos (2002), by the Brazilian theater company Cia do Latão. The company is a representative group of a specific social-historic context, or rather, the renewal of the epic theater in Brazil. The theme of the play is the Brazilian Native's enslavement process in 1546 by the first grantee of Porto Seguro, who is characterized by the ethics of capitalist labor and becomes involved in an ideological dispute with the Church because he is against the Holy Days of Obligation. While in prison, he has a vision concerning cordiality that shows him the proper way to deal with his slaves and workers. By mentioning a real historic fact reported in the lawsuit filed by the Catholic Church against the grantee of the lands, the play revisits critically a significant event of Brazilian official history in such a way that it may be linked to Walter Benjamin´s historical materialism. In fact, the play reveals a specific historical moment within the implantation process of capitalism in Brazil and its consequences. Moreover, the theme is formally expressed by a critical appropriation of the ‘auto’ which also leads us to studies on the epic forms.