Blackface — Marco Mendonça
Blackface is a solo show written and performed by Marco Mendonça, like a musical conference somewhere between stand-up comedy and fantasy, with a touch of satire and physical theater, along with burlesque and documentary influences.
With a background of personal experiences and the history of blackface as a racist theatrical practice – from its roots in the United States all the way to recent Portuguese examples -, Marco Mendonça explores the limits of what can, or cannot, be performed on stage.
Considering the vast library of events in which this practice has been used to perform blackness as an inferior human state in the Portuguese society, is it possible to think that there is no racism in Portugal?
Credits
Artistic direction, creation and interpretation: Marco Mendonça
Creation support: Bruno Huca
Dramaturgy support: Gisela Casimiro
Music: Mestre André
Light design: Rui Monteiro
Scenography: Pedro Azevedo
Costumes: Aldina Jesus
Video: Heverton Harieno
Production: Alkantara – Sinara Suzin e Carolina Gameiro
Coproduction: Alkantara, Teatro do Bairro Alto and Teatro Viriato
Coproduction residency: O Espaço do Tempo
Residency support: Moussem Nomadic Arts Centre
About Marco Mendonça
Marco Mendonça is an actor based in Portugal, who took his degree in acting at the Lisbon Film and Theatre School. After finishing his studies, he was cast as an intern at Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, where he worked with directors and companies such as Tiago Rodrigues, Formiga Atómica, Paula Diogo and Faustin Linyekula. After the internship, he worked in performance and theatre creations from Mala Voadora, Gary Hill, Tonan Quito, Kassys, Artistas Unidos, Má-Criação, Foguetes Maravilha, among many others. In 2019, he co-wrote and co-created his first play “Parlamento Elefante” at Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, alongside Eduardo Molina and João Pedro Leal. In 2021, their second production “Cordyceps” toured around eight Portuguese cities. In the past years he’s also been touring internationally with the play “Catarina and the beauty of killing fascists”, written and directed by Tiago Rodrigues.
He has also worked in film and TV productions with directors such as Tiago Guedes, Pedro Cabeleira, Francisco Valente, Sebastião Salgado, João Maia, Filipa Amaro and Miguel Afonso Carranca.
In 2022, his first original play was edited in Portuguese and Spanish by Teatro Bombón, from Argentina. Besides his work as an actor, writer and director, he translated English plays for independent productions from Mala Voadora and Teatro do Vão.
