PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS:
Silvana Marcondes
Urga Maira
Gra Mattar
Lenis Rino

Audio Transcribed

How the Night Cameis a shadow theater performance that tells an Indigenous story. We strongly believe in the importance of sharing Indigenous narratives, expanding the repertoire of stories from Indigenous peoples and the original communities that shapedBrazil, alongside African cultures.This story follows the journey of a curumim (an Indigenous boy) who sets out insearch of the night because, in his village, there is only daylight—the sun shines all day long.He embarks on an adventure through the forest to find the night, which is guarded byserpents. The illustrations are by Gramatar, and the soundtrack was composed by Lenis Rino. The entire performance is musical, featuring a soundscape created by Lenis, andcontains no spoken dialogue. In moments where explanations are necessary—whensomething cannot be conveyed through shadow play—the text appears within the shadows. Inpast performances, we have observed that audience members who can read often help bynarrating the text to younger children who may not yet be able to read.This is our project—it is nearly complete. While we still want to make a few adjustments, it is ready to take the stage.

Bio:

Urga Maira and Silvana Marcondes met over 20 yearsago through their work in puppet theater.A shared fascination with shadow theater brought them together, and it was on the stages and in the workshops of the International Shadow Festival that their partnership was trulyestablished. Since then, they havecombined their skills and collaborated on various projects. Here are some of their joint endeavors:

They have participated in numerous events at SESC venues, cultural centers, and schools throughout the state of São Paulo, as well as on international tours. They collaborated with the band Barbatuques in creating a music video for the group’s 25th-anniversary tour. They work as shadow theater consultants and creators for theater companies, including Cia Bendita, and they designed and performed the shadowsequences for the children's opera "O Peixe Mágico". Passionate about Indigenous cultures, they actively research and promote their traditions,believing in the urgency of spreading this knowledge as a means of fostering recognition anddismantling prejudices. In 2021, Urga began developing the play "Como Surgiu a Noite", with Silvana providing technical support. The production had a short run in Portugal, in the cities of Gerês, Porto, and Lisbon. Following this initial phase, they revised the script, created new scenes, and reworked others — all in collaboration with illustrator Gra Mattar and musician Lenis Rino.The play is now ready to premiere and take flight on theatrical stages and alternative venues.