Geraldo Ferreira de Lima: Black theatre in Brazil and Canada: from stereotype to authenticity

Brazil and Canada, although colonized by different European countries, have some marked societal similarities: one is related to Black people and how they were entangled to form the ethnical mosaic that enabled the development of a rich multiethnic society. Excluded from active roles as builders of society, Black people tried to find devices that could allow them to be effective. In their attempt to overcome what could be defined as an inherited sense of exclusion, Black Brazilians and Canadians have used theatre. My paper examines the relation between Black people and theatre and how social inclusion has been promoted through plays, which, despite their stereotyped characters, have lately reached authenticity with characters expressing blackness at their best.