Connections Plays 2012
The Ritual
by Samir Yazbek
An intense thriller by one of Brazil's leading playwrights, developed with young people in the favelas of São Paulo.
A secret organisation meets weekly with the aim of cleansing its members of the pretensions of love and affection. Loyalty and trust are stretched beyond limits as a sequence of dangerous events catapults those involved into a potentially catastrophic climax.
Cast size 7
Age suitability 13-19
Samir Yazbek
Hailing from Sao Paulo, Samir Yazbek is one of Brazil's most prominent writers. He trained under the tutelage of Antunes Filho. His plays have been performed across the world and received translation into English, French & Spanish. Samir's plays include: O Fingidor/The Pretender (Shell Award/1999, best writer); Terra Prometida/Promised Land (among the 10 best plays of 2002, according to the newspaper O Globo); As Folhas do Cedro/Cedar-Tree Leaves (APCA Award/2010 for best writer); A Entrevista/The Interview and O Invisível/The Invisible, among others.
He writes for the O Teatro de Samir Yazbek, Coleção Aplauso, Imprensa Oficial do Estado de São Paulo, and he is the author of the never played Os Gerentes/The Managers, published by Editora Unicamp, and the Último Profeta/The Last Prophet, published by Editora Record.
He wrote and directed the screenplay Vestígios/Vestige and the adaptation of his play Os Fingidores/The Pretenders for a broadcast by TV Cultura de São Paulo, in partnership with Rede SESC TV. He also writes articles for celebrated Brazilian periodicals, Folha de Sao Paulo and O Estado de Sao Paulo and for the magazine Bravo! He is a teacher of theory and practice of theatrical representation at the prestigious Célia Helena Teatro Escola (Theater School) and Escola Superior de Artes Célia Helena (Faculty Theatre School). Samir is currently working with the Theatre Company Arnesto nos Convidou - the group he's been working for more than 10 years- on a play inspired by Faust.
