Audio Transcribed

We are people from different generations: Vera and I are in our 60s and 70s, while Júlio is in his 20s. And our idea is to take part in the process. This raises many questions because we have only worked together once before, at the festival Mirada. 

​

We don’t see ourselves as actors—we are true beginners, right at the very start, but with a lot of enthusiasm. And with that comes a lot of anxiety because sometimes we’re unsure about what exactly is part of the process—what is process, what is theater, what is a scene, what is scene preparation... 

​

We exchange many ideas. For example, Vera knows a lot about herbs, so we start by talking about them. We love dancing—I love dancing. Júlio is an excellent percussionist, and we talk and try to build something together. 

​

But we struggle to connect one scene to the next, to create transitions. We rely a lot on the help of those who are already in the field and truly understand it. They are very patient with us and always try to give us guidance. 

​

Sometimes, we don’t know how to separate theater from other things we do. The name we chose is Sankofa-zendo because we feel the importance of looking back, of honoring our ancestors. And from there, looking forward to continue our journey. 

​

So this name, Sankofa-zendo, represents what we are doing. We talk a lot about religions, about what one tradition uses, what another teaches. We discuss spirituality and our orixás. 

We appreciate African-rooted religions, but not exclusively. Vera—one of our companions—brings a lot of experience in the religious sphere. Júlio knows the stories very well, the Itãs. 

And we build our speech, our conversations, our text based on these experiences. 

​