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MODERNISM AND THE PORTUGUESE
TEATRO DE REVISTA1
JORGE PALINHOS
In oduc ion
The a an -ga de mo emen s o he beginning o he 20 h cen u y had a de ining
in luence upon se e al a is ic and non-a is ic a eas o li e. No longe did a
es ic i sel o a is ic a eas, bu i ied o in luence and ha e an impac on all
a eas o li ing and le i sel be in luenced by all human endea ou s and wo ks. I s
o emos pionee s came om he isual a s, a he ime eeling he compe i ion
and impac o mechanical ep oduc ions in hei own wo k and, a he ime,
also ying o deal wi h he shock o Roman ic sensibili ies acing he apid
indus ializa ion o Eu ope.
I can be said ha Mode nism s a ed wi h an en husias ic emb ace o p og ess
and he apid ans o ma ions ha socie y, cul u e and echnology we e acing.
Mode nis a is s we e ying o exp ess a new sensibili y ha included he
Roman ic adi ion, bu did no ejec all he ad ances hey we e disco e ing
in science, enginee ing and social o ganiza ion, o he ideas o hinke s like
Sigmund F eud, F ied ich Nie zsche, Hen i Be gson and many o he s.
1 This ex is a e ised and ex ended e sion o he pape “Mode nis A and he Po uguese Tea o de
Re is a” p esen ed a he in e na ional con e ence Sou he n Mode nisms: C i ical S ances Th ough Regional
App op ia ions, ESAP, Opo o, 19-21 Feb ua y 2015.
142
JORGE PALINHOS
The a i al o Mode nis ideas in Po ugal was su p isingly as o a small
mino i y o a is s, bu much slowe o he majo i y o he popula ion and o
he a is ic landscape o he coun y, and namely o he a is s who depended
mo e on public suppo o s a e inancing. In ac , he na u alis ic as e in a s in
Po ugal would las un il he middle o he 20 h cen u y. This was mo e e iden
in a s mo e hea ily dependen on audience applause o go e nmen suppo
as was he case wi h he pe o ming a s. In ac , he p inciples o Mode nis
hea e would ake a long ime o be well- ecei ed in Po ugal. The e we e a ew
a emp s a Mode nis hea e in Po ugal in he beginning o he 20 h cen u y.
Fo ins ance, F ança no es ha he u u e o he magazine O pheu, he i s
Mode nis magazine in Po ugal, also en ailed an ambi ious p og amme o
con e ences and a hea e es i al2 ha ne e ook place. One o he p o agonis s
o Po uguese Mode nism, José Almada Neg ei os (1893-1970), had a deep
in e es in hea e and was w i ing, di ec ing and designing o hea e in he
1920s, bu he lack o oppo uni ies and in e es among audience and a is s, a
ha ime, ul ima ely discou aged him and led him o mo e ab oad o a while.
The e o e, o he i s 30 yea s o he 20 h cen u y, Mode nism did no ake hold
in Po uguese hea e, excep in one a ea: he s age and cos ume design o one
o he mos popula and adi ional Po uguese hea e o ms – Tea o de Re is a.
In ac , se e al o he mos impo an ea ly Po uguese Mode nis a is s, like
Jo ge Ba adas, Milly Possoz, José Ba bosa, Sa ah A onso, S ua Ca alhais and
e en Almada Neg ei os, had an impo an ole ede ining he s age and cos ume
design o Po uguese Tea o de Re is a a ound he 1920s, and, in his pape I will
y o documen he o igins, easons, e olu ion and in luence o his change.
Tea o de Re is a
Tea o de Re is a, also called Re is a à Po uguesa, is a e y popula Po uguese
o m o sa i ical sociopoli ical hea e, which s i es o eenac and sa i ize some
2 José-Augus o F ança, A A e e a Sociedade Po uguesa no Século XX (1910-1990), Lisboa 1991, 13-14.
143
MODERNISM AND THE PORTUGUESE TEATRO DE REVISTA
o he mos popula , well-known and con o e sial cu en a ai s and e en s o
socie y. I s in luence was so deep ha e en a he beginning o he 21s cen u y,
i s hold on he Po uguese imagina ion emains s ong. Mos o he popula ion,
howe e , s ill con la e hea e wi h Tea o de Re is a and see i s old celeb i ies
as examples o hea e pe o me s. I s poli ical and inancial suppo s ill is a
ele an issue,3 e en i Tea o de Re is a i sel is oday a dying hea e gen e, wi h
mos o i s p ac i ione s e i ed and i s s ages closed o deg aded.
The o igin o Tea o de Re is a can be ound in F ance a he end o he 18 h
cen u y. Amids he u moil o he F ench economic and social c isis and he
subsequen e olu ion, hea e became a popula ool o in o m and e lec abou
he e en s hen aking place in F ance. A speci ic ype o hea e s a ed o appea
called he e ue de in d’ année,4 ha was used o ell, show and commen on he
main poli ical and social e en s o he p e ious yea . Combining popula songs,
humo and cu en a ai s, e ue de in d’année became a massi e popula hi
because i sa is ied he wide audience’s need o en e ainmen and in o ma ion
and i quickly sp ead ac oss Eu ope.
The e ue a i ed in Po ugal in he middle o 19 h cen u y, wi h he i s one
being, acco ding o Luiz F ancisco Rebello,5 “Lisboa em 1850” (“Lisbon in
1850”), which p emie ed on 11 Janua y 1851, in he Tea o do Ginásio. This
hea e was al eady popula o s aging aude ille and ope a bu a. Re ue de in
d’année was he nex logical s ep, immedia ely becoming e y popula wi h he
audience, he piece being s aged o a ull mon h and epea ed du ing he ca ni al.
This success ensu ed ha he e ue de la année quickly s opped being jus an
annual e en , bu became a comme cially success ul en e p ise, ha happened
3 In 2001, he mayo o Lisbon, Ped o San ana Lopes, c ea ed a casino in he ci y os ensibly wi h he
sole pu pose o suppo ing he eco e y o he deg aded a ea o Tea o de Re is a’s hea es, Pa que Maye .
These a eas should ha e been eco e ed wi h a p ojec by he a chi ec F ank Geh y, bu , al hough he
casino was c ea ed and opened, he ebuilding o he hea es ne e ac ually ook place.
4 V. Pa ão dos San os, A e is a mode nis a, Lisbon 2000, 2.
5 Luiz F ancisco Rebello, His ó ia do Tea o de Re is a em Po ugal. Vol. I Da Regene ação à República.
Lisbon 1984, 55.
144
mul iple imes a yea , h ough se e al p oduc ions. Vi gilio Ribal a6 desc ibes
Po uguese Tea o de Re is a as being ull o colo ul se designs exchanged in
quick succession, and a choi o scan ily-clad women wea ing gaudy cos umes,
all wi h a sense o dynamic mo emen and cons an change, which would sa is y
he appe i e o a popula audience o magni icence and sexual innuendo.
I s popula i y also ensu ed ha i was one o he ew hea e gen es in Po ugal
ha could h i e wi hou go e nmen backing, e en i he numbe o pe o me s,
se designs and cos umes made i an expensi e p oduc ion o s age. When
success ul, hese p oduc ions had long uns ha demanded a cons an sea ch
o no el y ha could keep he audience’s in e es and make hem e u n o see
a show mo e han once. Usually, his in e es was sus ained h ough popula
songs, gues s a s, new ske ches, e c. Ob iously, i s sa i ical add essing o cu en
a ai s – o example du ing he Fi s Po uguese Republic, wi h i s nume ous
poli ical c ises, ebellions and up isings – also added o he public in e es in
Tea o de Re is a.
D ama u gically, Tea o de Re is a had a e y speci ic and s able s uc u e.
Usually, each piece was di ided in o wo pa s, each one wi h a speci ic, al hough
b oad, heme. The i s pa would open wi h an o ches al piece ollowed by he
i s song. Then, se e al di e en scenes would ake place, mixing songs, dance
and hea ical scenes inspi ed by poli ical, social o hea ical e en s, o scenes
combining all hese. These scenes could be connec ed by he cha ac e o he
compé e o comé e – an ac o o ac ess who, in be ween scenes, would walk o
he on o he s age and, while he se was being changed behind he cu ain,
would ha e a humo ous dialogue wi h he audience o wi h ano he ac o , hus
c ea ing a hema ic b idge be ween scenes. One o he scenes would include a
gues s a , usually a well-known ado singe . Then, he e would be some ‘s ee
scenes’ abou daily li e in Lisbon which would end wi h a es i e pa ade. A e
ha , he e would be a second pa , wi h a e y simila s uc u e o he i s
6 In José Ca los Ál a ez, A República Foi ao Tea o, Lisboa 2010, 25.
JORGE PALINHOS
145
pa , which would end also wi h a so o es i e pa ade, al hough sho e han
he one a he end o he i s pa , whe e all he cas would be on s age, in a
e y hie a chical o de , wi h he choi gi ls on he side and a he back, and he
compé e and comé e, and gues s a s being on cen e s age in he on line.7
I was, he e o e, a highly es i e hea e, in ol ing se e al dozen pe o me s,
and a e y de ailed, mul iple and complex se design, mean o imp ess he
audience wi h he magni icen and su p ising isuals, bu also easily changed o
allow he quick succession o di e en musical, dancing and hea ical scenes.
I s popula impac in he beginning o he 20 h cen u y was undeniable: be ween
1910 and 1926 abou hal o all hea e p oduc ion in Lisbon and Opo o was
composed o pieces o Tea o de Re is a.8 Many o i s pe o me s we e celeb i ies
and se e al o i s songs became popula hi s o we e insc ibed in cul u al memo y.
Tea o de Re is a e en became he model and inspi a ion o Po uguese comedy
ilms ha would be made in he 1940s. I e en helped u n ado - a he ime
a despised popula music gen e in Po ugal and usually connec ed wi h sailo s,
p os i u es and c iminals - in o a music gen e closely ela ed o na ional iden i y.
I began being used in Tea o de Re is a om he 1870s onwa ds o help o
illus a e he bohemian side o li e in Lisbon a ha ime. Despi e i s popula i y,
and despi e he ac ha Po uguese audiences mos ly ejec ed Mode nis
pe o ming a s, as we will see, Tea o de Re is a was also he i s hea ical a
o m o welcome, sea ch and popula ize he i s mode nis a is s in hea e in
Po ugal.
Mode nism in Po ugal
Mode nism, in Po ugal, was a i s welcomed by a small clique o a is s,
usually connec ed o he magazine O pheu, like Fe nando Pessoa, Má io de Sá-
Ca nei o, San a-Ri a Pin o , and Amadeo de Souza Ca doso, among o he s.
7 Al a ez, A República Foi ao Tea o, 26.
8 Al a ez, A República Foi ao Tea o, 34.
MODERNISM AND THE PORTUGUESE TEATRO DE REVISTA

146
Mos o hem had li ed in Pa is, and knew and we e in luenced by he new
Mode nis ideas coming om he e. Howe e , hei ideas and wo ks we e mos ly
ejec ed – o e en made un o - namely in he hea e. I is well-known ha he
i s numbe o O pheu was ega ded as an ‘insani y’ a he ime and e en became
a mino success mos ly o scandalous easons, no o any eal app ecia ion by
he audience o he aes he ics i p omo ed. I is wo h no ing ha he p esence o
hea e in O pheu was also ambiguous because i included only a hea e play, O
Ma inhei o (The Sailo ) by Fe nando Pessoa, which was clea ly mo e in luenced
by he symbolism o Mae e linck, han any Mode nis aes he ics.
In hea e, such ejec ion also happened among audience and c i ics. In Figu e
1 we ha e a ca ica u e published in one o he o emos hea e magazines o
he ime, joking abou he ecep ion o u u is au ho s in Po ugal by hos ile
audiences.
JORGE PALINHOS
Figu e 1. A ca ica u e in he De Tea o magazine, showing how he playw igh should show g a i ude o
he applause a e he p emiè e. On he lowe igh , he u u is o mode nis au ho is showed b a ely
endu ing he ain o oma oes and o he ege ables h own by he en aged audience
147
Such hos ili y could be el e en agains o eign p oduc ions, as i happened
wi h he Balle s Russes, as I will y o desc ibe.
The Balle s Russes was a Russian dance company ounded in 1909 and managed
by Se gei Diaghile . I was he o emos and mo e in luen ial dance company
o he ime, ha ing dis illed classical balle in o a mo e widely-appealing o m,
wo king acco ding o Mode nis p inciples. I pa ne ed some o he mos
impo an mode nis a is s o he ime, like Léon Baks , Hen i Ma isse, Geo ges
B aque, Pablo Picasso, who all c ea ed he cos umes and scene y o Pa ade
(1917) and Le T ico ne (1919) o ha company. And é De ain, Joan Mi ó,
Sal ado Dalí, Jean Coc eau, Robe and Sonia Delaunay we e also associa ed
wi h he Balle s Russes, as we e se e al o he mos impo an compose s and
cho eog aphe s o he ime, like Igo S a insky, Claude Debussy, E ic Sa ie, and
Nijinsky, e en ha ing cos umes designed by Coco Chanel. I was a o una e
mix o cle e comme cial success, he abili y o cou he suppo o ich and
powe ul sponso s, and a ac ing a wide audience h ough acclaim and scandal.
Mode nis a was ascina ed and inspi ed by dance, namely h ough he use
o mo emen o he human body. Dance also c ea ed a h ough he use o
exis ing elemen s, like he human body, like in a collage, i s sensual elemen s,
he use o di e en a is ic ma e ials, i s mass appeal, he idea o a collec i e.
The absence o spoken language as well ga e i a mo e i a ional, subconscious
appeal. All o hese we e, o cou se, de ining ai s o mode nis aes he ics.
The Balle s Russes was able o ind a wide audience om he a is oc acy o he
bou geoisie, and plen y o unding o i s ex a agan and exo ic p oduc ions.
Th ough i s inno a i e dance and openness o collabo a ion wi h he mos a an -
ga de a is s, and i s willingness o shock and p o oke, Balle s Russes became
he mos acclaimed pe o ming oupe o he ime wo king unde mode nis
p inciples and i was a magne o Mode nis a is s.
Saspo es9 no es ha Po uguese a is s li ing in Pa is a he ime, like he poe
9 José Saspo es, T ajec ó ia da Dança Tea al em Po ugal, Lisbon 1979, 57.
MODERNISM AND THE PORTUGUESE TEATRO DE REVISTA
148
Má io de Sá Ca nei o, he a chi ec and pain e José Pacheko, he a chi ec
Raul Lino and he pain e Amadeo de Souza Ca doso, we e ascina ed by
he pe o mances o he company. And he e o e, he Mode nis a is s we e
en husias ic when he Balle Russes came o Po ugal a he end o 1917. While
he Fi s Wo ld Wa was aking place in Cen al Eu ope, he Balle s Russes ound
hemsel es in a di icul si ua ion, ha ing a ha d ime inding sponso s and places
o pe o m. Diaghile ied o esol e he p oblem by making he company ou
Sou h Ame ica and hen Po ugal and Spain.
When he Balle s we e coming o Po ugal, on 14 Oc obe 1917, Almada
w o e a long a icle o he i s and only edi ion o Po ugal Fu u is a, he new
Mode nis magazine he di ec ed, whe e he desc ibed he company as one o he
“mos beau i ul landma ks in he ci iliza ion o mode n Eu ope”10 and hen, in
a e y emo ional and imp essionis ic ex , desc ibed he wo k o he company,
e en i he – no ha ing had he oppo uni y o be in Pa is - had ne e ac ually
seen i in pe son, bu knew i only h ough he pho os published in newspape s
and magazines.11
Howe e , he p esence o Balle s Russes in Po ugal, despi e all he hopes and
en husiasm o he Po uguese mode nis a is s, was o he mos pa a iasco.
The company a i ed on Decembe 2 o p emie e a he Coliseu dos Rec eios
on Decembe 6. Howe e , on Decembe 5, he ebellion o Jun a Mili a
Re olucioná ia began, led by Sidónio Pais agains he go e nmen o A onso
Cos a. I pa alyzed Lisbon o h ee days and o ced he company o s ay indoo s
a hei ho el, supposedly in he company o some Po uguese mode nis a is s
like Almada Neg ei os, he compose Ruy Coelho and he a chi ec Ca los
Ramos.
The e o e, he p emie could no ake place un il Decembe 13 in a se e ely
damaged Coliseu de Lisboa. The company was unhappy wi h he wo king
10 My ansla ion.
11 V. Pa ão dos San os, O Escapa a e de Todas as A es ou Gil Vicen e is o po Almada Neg ei os, Lisbon
1993, 14.
JORGE PALINHOS
149
condi ions, bu ne e heless p esen ed Les Sylphides - usually conside ed o be
he i s abs ac balle - Schéhé azade, a sensuous and exo ic piece, Le Spec e de
la Rose, Wa io Dances o P ince Igo , Le Soleil de Nui , based on Russian olk
hemes. Among o he pieces, Balle s also pe o med Le Ca na al wi h cos umes
by Baks , and based on cha ac e s om Commedia Dell A e, which would ha e
a deep impac on Almada Neg ei os and become he bes ecei ed piece o he
oupe in Po ugal. O he pe o mances we e Thama , based on a legend o
Geo gia and Les Femmes de Bonne Humeu , which da ingly combined e udi e
dance, olk dance and con en ional ges u es o daily li e.
The e would be eigh p esen a ions a he Coliseu de Lisboa be ween Decembe
13-27, 1917, and wo mo e in he equally damaged Tea o São Ca los on
he Janua y 2 and 3, 1918. Despi e he in ense p omo ion and access o he
p es igious Tea o São Ca los, a he ime a ended by he cul u al and social eli es
o Lisbon, hese pe o mances seemed o ha e been a ailu e. Mos p esen a ions
had hal -emp y audi o iums, almos no p o i s, indi e en audiences and
hos ile e iews. One e iewe , Ál a o de Lima, compa ed he se design o he
“ idiculous blo s o ‘ u u is ’ pain ings”12. Ano he e iewe , F. Rod igues Al es,
desc ibed Le Soleil de Nui as being “a madhouse an asy, ob iously ca oonish.
A so o u u is ode, c ea ed by akes and danced by c azy people. Wo hless
se design.”13 Ob iously, he main de ende s o he show we e Po uguese
mode nis a is s, like he w i e and jou nalis An ónio Fe o and, especially,
Almada Neg ei os.
The w i e and a is Almada Neg ei os was al eady an admi e o Balle s Russes,
which he knew om he F ench magazines o which he subsc ibed and h ough
an in ense co espondence wi h Robe and Sonia Delaunay. These wo a is s
had mo ed o Po ugal, o he no he n own o Vila do Conde, in 1915, o
escape he Fi s Wo ld Wa . Robe Delaunay was al eady a amous Mode nis
12 San os, A e is a mode nis a, 4. (My ansla ion)
13 San os, O Escapa a e de Todas as A es,19. (My ansla ion)
MODERNISM AND THE PORTUGUESE TEATRO DE REVISTA
156
(1915-1994), mos o whom would u n he Tea o de Re is a in o a showcase
o Mode nis isual a s in he 1930s and 1940s. While a de ailed o e iew o
indi idual s yle and wo k o hese a is s is ou side he scope o his a icle, i
is possible o de ec a s ong inspi a ion in mo i s o Po uguese olk lo e o
adi ion, hea ily s ylized h ough he geome ical pa e ns o Mode nism wi h a
s ong closeness o he pic u esque image o Po ugal ha was hea ily p omo ed
by Es ado No o.
The e is also a no o ious emphasis in ep esen ing he mul i ude, he c owd,
and he luxu ious and g andiose, wi h he pu pose o making an imp ession on
he audience, h ough s ong con as s o colo s, s iking shapes and epe i ions
o he human body. All his c ea ed an a ha was ins an ly appealing o he
audience, a he same ime looking esh and amilia , which may explain he
g owing accep ance his s yle de eloped in mos plays o Tea o de Re is a om
he end o he 1920s onwa ds.
Regional app op ia ions
Al hough i seems somehow pa adoxical ha he Mode nis s yle would domina e
one o he mos comme cial gen es o hea e in Po ugal, se e al easons can be
gi en o ha . One eason was he ease wi h which Mode nis a is s de o ed
hemsel es o design and deco a ion in mo e indus ial se ings. This was pa
o he Mode nis ideology o emb acing p og ess and he mechaniza ion o li e.
Sonia Delaunay was he model o ha , employing he echnique o simul ané21
no only in he a wo ks, bu also in he se design o he Balle s Russes and
in ashion design, and o he ypes o design, ha she wo ked on la e in li e.
This a ailabili y o a is s allowed many Mode nis a is s o wo k in deco a ion
and se design, oo, like Almada Neg ei os and Jo ge Ba adas. As Rod igues22
21 Ka hlees Jamie, “Sonia Delaunay: The a an -ga de queen o loud, wea able a ,” in: h p://www.
hegua dian.com/a anddesign/2015/ma /27/sonia-delaunay-a an -ga de-queen-a - ashion- ib an -
a e-mode n. (accessed 27 Ma ch 2015).
22 An ónio Rod igues, Jo ge Ba adas, Lisbon 1995, 30.
JORGE PALINHOS

157
no es, mos a is s o he i s Po uguese gene a ion o Mode nis a is s
wo ked in ca ica u e d awing, illus a ion, pain ing, se design, pos e design,
ad e isemen , book illus a ion and e en songbooks o popula songs. I would
a gue ha many we e d awn o Tea o de Re is a p ecisely because hey we e
engaged in his ype o wo k, as was he case wi h Ba adas o An ónio Amo im.
Ano he eason was he cons an need o Tea o de Re is a’s en ep eneu s o
su p ise hei audience. This demanded a cons an sea ch o no el ies ha could
awe, in e es and a ac audiences. These no el ies could in ol e celeb i ies,
new scenes, bu also new se designs and new cos umes, and all could gi e a
new b ea h o old pieces, and a ac new audiences o e u ning audiences.
Mode nis a , by emb acing he spec acula and he dynamic, and by including
new echnologies and echniques, was especially able o do ha .
A u he eason was he p edisposi ion o Mode nis A o p esen deep
con as s, luxu ious se ings and awe-inspi ing wo ks ha could be used o
awe he audience o Tea o de Re is a, mos o whom we e seeking dis ac ion,
en e ainmen and a b eak om he mono ony o li e in Po ugal unde he
Mili a y Dic a o ship. In a way, Mode nis a se ed as escapism, a d eamlike
a ha could seduce and ascina e he audience.
One las eason was he emb ace o na ional mo i s ha could be e beguile an
audience looking o a mo e g andiose eenac men o he adi ions and daily
li e i knew, which he Tea o de Re is a de ly explo ed h ough humo ous and
musical ske ches. One only has o no e he example o Jo ge Ba adas, whose
d awings displayed a g ea in e es in p esen ing he popula ypes o Lisbon, he
same popula ypes ha uelled so many ske ches o Tea o de Re is a. Ba adas
c ea ed hese d awings which would be published in some o he newspape s
and magazines o he ime, like ABC, Ilus ação, Diá io de Lisboa, e c.23
The e o e, i is possible o belie e ha , ollowing he ideas o i s main p omo e ,
An ónio Fe o, and he s ong in luence o he Balle s Russes, Tea o de Re is a
23 Rod igues, Jo ge Ba adas, 42.
MODERNISM AND THE PORTUGUESE TEATRO DE REVISTA
158
became one o he main p omo e s o Mode nis A in Po ugal. This was a
mo e popula a ha was emb aced by Tea o de Re is a as a mi o o daily li e
ha could awe and a ac c owds.
Conclusions
Al hough he examples p esen ed ob iously display he indi idual as es and
s yles o each a is , i is possible o iden i y some ends and cu en s in he
Mode nis se and cos ume design o Tea o de Re is a om he 1920s and in o
he ollowing decades.
Fi s ly, he use o con as s in colo s and shapes in a way ha is e y eminiscen
o he s yle o Sonia Delaunay. Compa ing he pic u es ha emain o hose
se s, we can see a s ong p e e ence o p ima y and con as ing colo s o c ea e
dynamics and he illusion o mo emen .
Secondly, a as e o he exo ic and a s ylized ep esen a ion o a away locales
and cul u es ha could make an imp ession on he audience, all o i displaying
some o he in luence o he Balle s Russes.
Thi dly, and pa adoxically, a as e o he local and adi ional. Many o he
se ings and cos umes o Tea o de Re is a had o ep esen , in a ca oonish o
sen imen al s yle, he amilia neighbo hoods o scenes o Lisbon and o he
ypical Po ugal places. Displaying a mo e na ionalis ic end ha was al eady
pa o he i s wa es o Mode nism. The Mode nis s yle o Tea o de Re is a
was also able o accommoda e ha . In ac , i did his in such a pe suasi e and
e icien way ha se e al o he se designe s and cos ume designe s o Tea o de
Re is a would la e wo k on some o he p opaganda p ojec s o he na ionalis
and conse a i e go e nmen o An ónio Salaza . Ba adas would wo k on he
Po uguese S and in he La in-Ame ican Exhibi ion o Se ille, Ba bosa would
wo k a he Na ional Thea e, Lima C uz would wo k on he deco a ion o
public buildings, and so on.
Fou hly, he in luence o An ónio Fe o, who, e en i he was mos ly a ma ginal
igu e o he i s and second Po uguese mo emen s o Mode nism, became
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159
deeply in luen ial as a hea e e iewe and as a poli ician, en husias ically
p omo ing a mo e na ionalis ic b and o Mode nism ha could be used as a
p opaganda ool o Salaza ’s dic a o ship. Al hough he abili y o Tea o de
Re is a o c i icize he poli ical s a us quo was also one o he easons o i s
popula i y, he exis ence o hea e censo ship24 aking place be o e he p emie e
o each show and wi h he powe o cause damage o he inancially ulne able
Tea o de Re is a, ensu ed ha such c i icism could only ake place h ough he
sub le y o he ex and ac o s and e y a ely h ough se design o cos ume
design.
Fi hly, al hough Mode nis se design and cos ume design became ubiqui ous
in Tea o de Re is a, and al hough i s dance ou ines we e also in luenced by he
Russian and Mode nis dance,25 he d ama u gical s uc u e o he gen e did
no change. In ac , he ex s and au ho s o Mode nis hea e we e no o iously
absen om he Po uguese s age well in o he 1960s.
Howe e , in a way, his also e lec s he ac ha Mode nis aes he ics seem o
ha e ound g ea e audience accep ance in he isual a s and in a chi ec u e
han in o he a eas, namely in li e a u e, playw i ing, music and o he s. Tha is
why Almada Neg ei os had o endu e he ac ha his plays we e being igno ed
o passed on by se e al hea e oupes o se e al yea s, and ha e some o his
plays s aged only owa ds he end o his li e. Like, in 1963, Deseja-se Mulhe ,
which was s aged by Casa da Comédia, unde e y es ic i e condi ions
and o a e y limi ed audience. Ye i is undeniable ha he helped b ing he
24 The e we e se e al laye s o hea e censo ship in Po ugal a ha ime. The i s s age would be he
eading and e ing he ex o he play. The second s age would be he iewing and e ing o he las
d ess ehea sal be o e he p emiè e. As he sc ip was al eady paid o , and he d ess ehea sal mean ha
he p oduc ion o he play was comple e wi h weeks o ehea sal and all he p ops, cos umes and se s
al eady made, and he play ad e ised, any play ejec ed a his s age would be a se ious inancial blow o
he hea e oupe. Finally, i could happen ha du ing he season o he show, censo s would come o
wa ch i , and hey could close he pe o mance i hey el some hing wen agains he mo al and poli ical
alues o he S a e.
25 This change happened mos ly h ough he cho eog aphe F ancis G aça, who was he cho eog aphe o
Água Pé, and would become he cho eog aphe o he Companhia Po uguesa de Bailados Ve de Gaio, bu
he impac o Mode nism in Po uguese dance is ou side he scope o his pape .
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Mode nis e olu ion o he s age o Tea o de Re is a while s ill a a young age,
and, he e o e, helped o popula ize, and allow he Po uguese app op ia ion o ,
Mode nis ideas ha we e shaping he aes he ics, hinking and li e o Eu ope a
ha ime.
This wo k was conduc ed unde he P ojec D ama ic A chi ec u es (ESAP/2015/P24/SATH), held in
Secção Au ónoma de Teo ia e His ó ia (SATH) [Au onomous Sec ion o Theo y and His o y] / Cen o
de Es udos A naldo A aújo (CEAA) [A naldo A aújo Resea ch Cen e ] o Escola Supe io A ís ica do
Po o (ESAP).
JORGE PALINHOS