The winning production of the 7th edition of the Amélia Rey Colaço Grant, which includes Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, A Oficina, O Espaço do Tempo, and Teatro Viriato, premieres at the small auditorium of Centro Cultural Vila Flor in Guimarães. Additional performances are scheduled at the project’s other partner venues.
According to the synopsis, ‘Corre, bebé!’ explores the lives of “a couple of trans individuals, set in a post-apocalyptic world, pondering the possibility of having a baby in such a context”.
“Expectations, current challenges, and insecurities are poetically addressed, illustrating the fears and dreams that might arise when nurturing a new person in an uncertain future. How many people fit into this future?” the synopsis further elaborates.
Gaya de Medeiros, who also assumes directing and acting roles, states, “The piece involves two trans people anticipating a third person’s arrival, with a narrative that starts by stating it will be the story of a cradle being assembled to be disassembled”.
Set over ten days, “a certain end is immediately foreshadowed,” marking the conclusion of the relationship between the two main characters, though not their connection.
Throughout the play, a third figure is present on stage, filming with a mobile phone, and the climax involves displaying the filmed images within the cradle’s box.
The two protagonists continue with their lives, forming new connections, thus illustrating that “four people in the world are responsible for the baby”.
As explained by Gaya de Medeiros, the play attempts to expand the concept of family, acknowledging that the idea of needing a community to raise a child can sometimes seem “very utopian”.
Therefore, the creators intended to “reinterpret the idea of divorce, which does not solely signify an end or a failure”.
From June 20 to 29, ‘Corre, bebé!’ will be staged in the studio room Valentim de Barros, at Jardins do Bombarda in Lisbon, and it will arrive at Teatro Viriato in Viseu on July 4.
Gaya de Medeiros, having previously collaborated with Ary Zara in ‘Atlas da Boca’, notes that the play is set for a performance in Geneva in January, with plans for international tours.
