About NEVA
NEVA is a play written in 2005 by Chilean playwright Guillermo Calderón. It refers to the Neva River, a river that flows through the city of Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Calderón's play takes place in the then capital of the Russian Empire, on a day in 1905. Not just an ordinary day, but on January 9, 1905, the day that became known as Bloody Sunday.

 

 

The action of NEVA, however, takes place inside a theatre, where an actor and two actresses who were going to meet to rehearse "The Cherry Orchard", end up, somewhat unintentionally, taking shelter from the massacre that takes place in the streets and which will be the trigger for the revolution that will take place later in the country.

 

One of the actresses locked inside the theatre is German Olga Knipper, the first actress at the famous Moscow Art Theatre who was married to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Feeling unable to act, after her husband's death from tuberculosis six months ago, and in an attempt to keep on living – while the city collapses outside –, Olga encourages Masha and Aleko to repeatedly reenact Chekhov's death with her.

 

 

 

Reviews
“The production delights us by presenting the three actors playing with being or not being. Paulo Moraes' direction in Neva is artisanal and uses symbolic scenic resources, narrative dynamics, language experiments, balanced occupation of space and intense dramatic feelings combined with comic distensions. The scenic elements are carefully crafted, offering a show carried by the actors with the communion of a theatre company.”
- Leonardo Talarico, Jornal A Cena
 
It is through the penetrating final monologue, when the irrepressible work of the direction and the luminous cast is coming to an end, that the text of the playwright direction and the luminous cast is coming to an end, that the text of the playwrightGuillermo Calderón puts into question the very function of the theatre.”
- Wagner Corrêa de Araújo, Escrituras Cênicas

 

 

About Armazém Theatre Company
The Armazém Theatre Company, founded in 1987 in Londrina, Brazil, by Paulo de Moraes, has been influential for 35 years. Now based in Rio de Janeiro, it prioritizes innovative themes and forms, focusing on the art of acting, body, voice, and thought dynamics. Their unique approach immerses audiences in parallel worlds through action, word, time, and space. With a fragmented language and internal perspective, Armazém's trajectory maintains its distinct voice, earning them 100+ major Brazilian awards while embodying artistic audacity and audience engagement.

 

About Paulo de Moraes
Paulo de Moraes (born in 1965) is a Brazilian theatre maker. He began his work as a director, set designer and playwright in 1987, when he founded - at a very young age- the Armazém Theatre Company. Living in Rio de Janeiro, he has won the major awards of Brazilian theater, and also twice the Fringe First Award, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. His productions have been performed in South America, Europe, and Asia including original plays like "Water Stain" and "The Day Sam Died", and groundbreaking versions of classics such as Nelson Rodrigues' “All Nudity Shall be Punished”, Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Tony Kushner's "Angels in America".

For Paulo de Moraes, the theatre is an art where one should not be afraid of asking the difficult questions. The good questions, rather than the answers, still make theatre an event of social importance.

PATRÍCIA SELONK
Born in Londrina, Paraná, in 1971, Patrícia Selonk has been an actress since 1987,when she participated in the formation of Armazém Theatre Company, having participated in the creation of all the company's shows since then. Working with the company, she received important Brazilian theater awards for her performance in"The Mousetrap is the Cat", "Envy of Angels", "Hamlet" and "Angels in America". In addition to nominations for "In The Sun on My Bed After The Water", "The Way Home", "All Nudity Shall be Punished", "Mother Courage and Her Children", and "Water Stain", among others.

Patricia starred in the short film "An Orange Sun", by Eduardo Valente, for which she received the Best Actress award at the Gramado and Fortaleza film festivals.
She has a degree in Dance from Faculdade de Dança Angel Vianna.

 
ISABEL PACHECO
Born in 1976, in Rio de Janeiro, Isabel Pacheco is an actress who graduated from CAL - Casa das Artes de Laranjeiras. She has been a member of Armazém Theatre Company since 2004, acting in major production from the company such as "Alice Through the Looking-Glass", "All Nudity Shall be Punished", "Hamlet", "Angels in America" and "Neva".Recently, Isabel participated in the two parts of the online scenic experiment "Though This Be Madness, Yet There Is Method In It" in which Shakespeare's monologues and dialogues were shown to the audience who should choose in each performance which stories they wanted to keep watching. 

Isabel also graduated in Dance from Angel Vianna Dance School, with a postgraduate degree in Therapy Through Movement. In recent years, she has taught Performance and Theatre at the same institution.

 
FELIPE BUSTAMANTE
Felipe Bustamante is an actor, director and playwright. He has been a member of Armazém Theatre Company since 2020, being currently part of the cast of "Brás Cubas", "Neva", "Hamlet" and "Angels in America".

In 2018, he won the award for Best Supporting Actor at “Festival O Cubo” for the medium-length film “Regalo”, by Ricardo Martins. As a playwright he had 3 plays staged. As a director, his most recent work is the comedy show “Mirando Baixo”, starring comedian Miranda, currently on a national tour.

Cast
Patrícia Selonk (Olga), Isabel Pacheco (Masha) and Felipe Bustamante (Aleko)

Artistic Collaboration: Jopa Moraes
Lighting Design: Maneco Quinderé
Music: Ricco Viana
Costume Design: Carol Lobato
Scenic Installation: Paulo de Moraes
“Moscow Art Theatre” Model: Carla Berri
Photo: Mauro Kury