Maputo in Scene Festival opens with a tribute to Evaristo Abreu

The M'bêu Theatre Group takes to the stage of the Sala Grande at the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre (CCFM) this Thursday (13), at 6:00 pm, for the official opening of the Maputo in Scene Festival. The play chosen for this symbolic moment is "The Dancer", by Evaristo Abreu, Mozambican actor, director and playwright who receives a posthumous tribute in this edition of the event.

The play "The Dancer" portrays the conflict between tradition and modernity, staging the concern of ancestral spirits regarding the progressive distancing of new generations from the rites, norms, and values ​​that sustained community life for generations. In this context, the ancestors decide to transmit their powers to the living and choose Matchepisso to face a decisive test: a dance competition in which not only spiritual powers but also life itself will be at stake.

Through dance, music, and theatricality, "The Dancer" invites the audience to reflect on the preservation of traditions and the place of this heritage in the contemporary world.

The actors on stage will be: Jorge Maria Vaz; Sabina Tembe; Denio Pelembe; Josefina Vilanculo; Paulo Jamine; Samuel Magaia; Clarisse Matsinhe.

The direction is by Isabel Jorge, with choreography by Lulu Sala. The technical team also includes Celso Durão on music, Boaventura Machavel on costumes, and Amosse Mahoche on lighting design.

Produced by Olankha Comunicação e Produção, the show lasts one hour. Tickets cost 300 meticais for the general public and 150 meticais for students.

The opening performance also marks a fitting tribute to the author, director and playwright Evaristo Abreu, an unavoidable figure in Mozambican theatre, who passed away last September at the age of 59, a victim of complications related to cancer.

Evaristo Abreu was one of the most influential figures in the performing arts and higher education in Mozambique. Holding a degree in Sociology from Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) and a master's degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Abreu began his theatrical career in 1985, acting in groups such as TEJOCO, Txova Xita Duma, and Mutumbela Gogo.

In 1989, he founded the M'bêu group, which became one of the most respected in the Mozambican artistic scene. Between 1998 and 2005, he coordinated the D'Agosto International Theatre Festival, an event that promoted cultural exchanges between Mozambican artists and groups from Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

Beyond his artistic career, Abreu played a significant role in social and community development. In 2006, he joined the World Vision organization, where he coordinated the Community Mobilization Department, using theatre as a tool for social transformation. He was also an active member of the National Culture Festival, promoted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Since 2011, Abreu taught at the School of Communication and Arts at UEM, where he taught courses in Staging and Applied Theatre. His dedication to training new generations of artists and academics left a lasting legacy. In 2022, he founded and began directing the EA.TEARTES project, continuing to influence the country's artistic scene.

The Maputo in Scene Festival is in its second edition, consolidating itself as a space for celebrating Mozambican performing arts. The choice of "The Dancer" for the opening not only honors the memory of Evaristo Abreu, but also reinforces the festival's commitment to promoting reflection on crucial themes for Mozambican society, such as the balance between tradition and modernity