Amílcar Generation
On his final report for the agronomical engineering course, guinean nationalist Amílcar Cabral argued that the regime's exploitation of Alentejo soils in Portugal would necessarily result in their extinction. A few months later he travelled to Guinea with his wife Maria Helena — an interethnic couple in the colonial world. In Africa, as in Portugal, Amílcar witnessed and reflected on the consequences of the fascist regime for Africans and Portuguese alike.
About Amílcar Generation
Amílcar Generation is a 'monologue' about the guinean independent movement’s historical leader, Amílcar Cabral. Aspects of Cabral's biography are mixed with elements of the political thought of the period, and framed within the historical context of the nationalist struggles in Africa. The text relies on documental materials — letters, speeches, notes and iconography.
Equal importance is given to the actual event on stage and the theatrical performance - actor Ângelo Torres challenges Amílcar Cabral as if they both occupied the same stage. The show seeks to combine the eclecticism of contemporary theatrical forms with the expressive power of African storytellers — the griots — drawing on the actor's sui generis experience and style. The themes are approached in a non-chronological and non-narrative manner, favouring the idea that their spectacular potential should guide the ordering of the 'text'. The intended effect is that of a 'magical evocation of a life and a thought' and not of a biography.
Production Requirements
Type: monologue
Cast: 1 actor between the ages of 35 and 50
Duration: 1 hour, approx.
Venue: intimate
Scenario: minimalist
Lights: lighting design available on request
Sound: requires onstage audio output
Rehearsals: with actor Ângelo Torres: 2 weeks of rehearsal + a tech and 2 dress rehearsals. 4 weeks for an actor unfamiliar with the text.
