Raquel Castro stated that the play she directs starts with “initial questions related to anxiety,” which led her to title the piece with a word that “expresses the idea of talking” about anxiety.
The show is based on a “playful exercise” where director Raquel Castro is rehearsing Chekhov’s “The Seagull” with a group of actors who all have anxiety issues.
As the performance progresses, the audience “becomes aware of these narratives,” shared only “among some group members.”
“This often occurs when there are mental health problems,” she emphasized, adding that today the topic is widely discussed.
However, “despite the current discourse, there is a lot of hesitation, many taboos, and significant stigma surrounding the subject, with anxiety ultimately acting as an obstacle to the play.”
“Ansioliticamnete falando” unfolds around a play in rehearsals, featuring excerpts from Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” where anxiety “causes a kind of explosion in the group” as they realize they are all experiencing the same issues.
To avoid autobiographical and autofictional works, Raquel Castro utilized excerpts from the Russian playwright’s classic, which “also resonate with the experiences of the director,” she noted, influencing her creation process.
Chekhov’s text is marked by an “existential unease associated with the characters” due to the “anxieties and dilemmas” they face.
The narrative of “The Seagull” thus “undermines the director’s story,” as Chekhov’s words “resonate with her,” making her realize that despite trying to create a ‘repertoire’ and traditional theater piece, she cannot escape her inclination towards autofiction or autobiography.
Therefore, Raquel Castro “finds herself everywhere, even in Chekhov,” she stated.
Asked about which character in “The Seagull” she identifies with most, the actress and director acknowledged it was the famous writer Trigorin, who most addresses “the challenges of artistic creation and the difficulties in creating and developing creative work,” she concluded.
Running at CCB’s Small Auditorium, the play “Ansioliticamente falando” will be on stage until November 9, with performances from Tuesday to Friday at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 7:00 PM, and Sunday at 5:00 PM.
The final show will include Portuguese Sign Language interpretation.
Featuring excerpts from “The Seagull” translated by António Pescada, “Ansioliticamente falando” is performed by Paulo Pinto, Pedro Baptista, Joana Bernardo, Sara Inês Gigante—who also supported the creation—and Raquel Castro.
Dramaturgical support is provided by Pedro Gil, with Pedro Russo assisting in direction.
The production includes set design by Joana Subtil, sound by Miguel Caldeira, and drummer Miguel Sobrado Curado.
