Móin-Móin Magazine - Studies in the Art of Puppetry
Journal of Theater of Animated Forms linked to the Postgraduate Program in Theater, at the Arts, Design and Fashion Center of the Santa Catarina State University. ISSN: 2595-0347 Frequency: semiannual Year of criation: 2005
Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina
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Allegory of water and light: a pyrotechnic spectacle on the Rhine river in Düsseldorf in 1585
The "Julian Wedding" celebrations held in Düsseldorf in 1585 constituted an opportune occasion to spectacularly stage the assertion of power of a duchy in crisis — governed by the von Jülich-Kleve-Berg family — through symbols of authority aimed at strengthening relations with the Empire. In this context, the recourse to aesthetic models and masters linked to the Italian Renaissance reveals itself as a deliberate political strategy, supported by the use of encomiastic allegory. A precious source for the reconstitution of these events is the contemporary account by Theodor Gramineus (Dietrich Gras), practically ignored by historiography.
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I carry what I can, i make a yard wherever possible: research and invention based on the narratives of migrant women silenced by official history in the construction of the new federal capital.
This study stems from the research and creative process of the performance "I Carry What I Can, Make a Backyard Wherever Possible", by the Coletivo Entrevazios (DF). It is rooted in the sensitive listening of stories from migrant women living in the oldest regions of the Federal District. In contrast to the official narrative about the construction of the new federal capital, this investigation proposes a memory politics that values the everyday life, courage, and resistance of these women, with the Barraca de Memórias action as a trigger for these silenced narratives.
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Affective repurposing: A procedural conversation between texts, materials, and creations in the poetics of Image and place in the creative process of Peepshow Theater
Abstract: This scribbled procedure is a documentary record of the time and academic place in the journey of a doll artist in the creation of his poetics. In the whirlwind in which this process was established, cutting, pasting, superimposing, copying, tearing, mixing and resorting to everything that your eyes observe, your touch identifies and your senses absorb, becomes a fundamental procedure in the search for the creation of a poetic based on affective reuse. Intertwining of contents with the intention of a practice, lived, experienced and elaborated simultaneously in the time and space of this academic process, based on the coexistence and approximations of the theoretical and practical framework of Animation Theater and the poetry of Manoel de Barros with poetic devices of the image, serving as inducers of an artistic practice with Teatro de Caixa (Lambe-lambe), giving indications on what we call material and immaterial affective reuse for the creation process.
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The Poetics of the Simple: Lambe-lambe reflections on gaps, humility and seeding
In this article, the author addresses aspects of a Poetics of the Simple applied to the practice of the Lambe-Lambe Theater. Going through essential themes to the development of the aforementioned scenic language in terms of its encounter with creative partnerships and the public, such as action through gaps, humility, singularity, simplicity and sincerity, reflecting on the process of dissemination of the Lambe-Lambe Theater in the world.
Bumba Meu Boi: how and When the Ritual Manifests
This work analyzes the diverse ritualistic dimensions of the Bumba Meu Boi cultural practices from Maranhão, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The study distinguishes the various ritual instances that compose the Boi's annual cycle, from the Festa Junina period until its "death" and closing in August. The research demonstrates that the ritualization of the Boi extrapolate strictly religious relations, manifesting complex syncretism and sociocultural negotiations in dialogue with the present time. To critically analyze the processes of continuity and transmission of these practices, the framework of Taylor (2003) regarding archive and repertoire is revisited, grounded in experiences of participant observation.
Blaspheming Across Borders No. 1: The Carnivals of Santana de Parnaíba and Cajamarca and a Brazil and Peru creation
The text narrates the first stage in the creation of Blasfêmia, a Brazil–Peru coproduction that takes popular and community-based carnival manifestations from both countries as a means to question elements of Latin American identity through festivity and death. Drawing from the carnivals of Santana de Parnaíba (Brazil) and Cajamarca (Peru), the process involved field research, artistic residency, and international circulation, generating reflections on a creation in transit — multicultural and frictional. The article presents the scope of the investigation, the account of the field experience in Cajamarca, and the principles that supported the subsequent movements of creation and circulation.
Mulheres na Commedia dell’Arte - atuando entre máscaras e fogueiras: entrevista com Tania Passarini e Luca Comastri
Tania Passarini and Luca Comastri, Italian actors from Fraternal Compagnia APS gave an interview to Professor Dr. Maria Brígida de Miranda on May 8, 2024. They discussed historical documents that indicate the work of women in the Commedia dell'Arte companies from the sixteenth century onwards and reflected on the developments of the Second Wave of the feminist movement in Italy in relation to theatrical practice and the efforts of actress Eleonora Fuser to create the mask La Strega (The Witch). Tania and Luca revealed about the dramaturgy of their new production inspired by the sixteenth-century witch hunt manual - Malleus Maleficarum - The Hammer of the Witches.
The city that each one sees, a show inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities.
This article presents and analyzes the play “The City Each One Sees”, developed at FINTA/IFSC -Florianópolis in 2023. The play was inspired by the literary work “Invisible Cities”, by Italo Calvino. It is a narrative performed by glove puppets with diverse characteristics who are in territorial displacement and find a new place to settle. The staging allows us to think about interculturalities and the symbolic dispute over territory, in a comical and reflective way. The proposal reveals multiple voices about the act of inhabiting a city and culminates in a perspective that values ancestral knowledge.
Lambe-Lambe Theater: an immersion in the tiny world of the imagination
This work addresses theater in animated forms, more specifically the Lambe-Lambe Theatre, delving into the world of this recent language of animation. The research provides a brief historical contextualization of the antecedents of animation and optical devices. It also addresses the emergence of street photographers, the origin of the Lambe-Lambe Theatre, its 30 years of existence and its relationship with the street.
This text shares different ways of making dramaturgies with documentary objects as part of processes of the theater of documentary objects: ethnographic notebooks, feedback dramaturgies, translation of field research into visual dramaturgies, space as dramaturgy, etc. The practices mentioned as examples come from the author's experience as an “object detective” with her groups Oligor y Microscopía and Agencia El Solar in Mexico and Spain.
Documentary Objects Theater and post catastrophe Objects: the dramaturgical creation of the film The Invisibles
During the research on the documentary objects for the film The invisibles, held in March 2021, was raised a material overview of the reminiscences related to the climatic catastrophe that occurred in the Mountain region of Rio de Janeiro in 2011, that is the central theme of the film. The article brings reflections on the experiences lived in the creation process of the film's dramaturgy, which specifically encompass categories of objects that are related to the Mountain catastrophe. The article is divided into sections that reflect the relevance of the study groups carried out with residents of the Mountain region and the relationship of objects and their memories.
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Style, genealogy and performative tradition: voices of legong in Bali: an interview with Anak Agung Gede Oka Dalem about the legong of Peliatan
The interview with Anak Agung Gede Oka Dalem offers an in-depth overview of the formation and consolidation of the Peliatan style of legong, from its arrival from Sukawati to its international dissemination. The testimony highlights the fundamental roles of masters such as I Wayan Lotring, Gusti Biang Sengog, and Anak Agung Gde Mandera, emphasizing the technical and expressive elements that define the local identity. Oka underscores the continuity of the style and the responsibility of preserving the inherited lineage in the face of sociocultural and educational changes.
Elefanteatro: the walking performance of pygmalion moving sculpture
The article describes the creative process behind Elefanteatro, a street parade featuring a giant puppet that narrates the saga of a migrant family in search of a better life. Themes of immigration and sustainability are embedded in the diegesis of the performance, led by puppet theater group Pigmalião Escultura que Mexe in musical collaboration with Grupo Oriundo de Teatro. Engaging with concepts akin to “bare life” and “precarious life”, as proposed by Giorgio Agamben and Judith Butler, respectively, the work aligns with the political commitment of artistic representation to activate new perceptions and provoke ruptures in times marked by cruelty and intolerance.
Confluences and divergences between object theatre and close-up magic.
The relationship between object theater and other artistic forms that participate in the objectual dynamics, awakens investigative concerns. This comparative analysis likens concepts derived from object theater with the practice of a branch of illusionism called close-up magic. In it, the artist and the audience interact in an intimate way. The use of everyday objects intensifies the astonishing effect, which is the obligatory purpose of all magic games. Actor, manipulator, character, person, body and object system are the axes selected to establish confluences and divergences between both artistic specialties. This article is an advance of a research in progress for the doctoral thesis in Arts of the UNA, Universidad Nacional de las Artes, Bs. As.
Gordon Craig and the mask of method: Robinson Crusoe and his pyre of a thousand ships
Edward Gordon Craig was fascinated by masks. He collected, catalogued, but also researched its expressive and pedagogical possibilities. In Craig, the mask went beyond its concrete meaning to become a mechanism for investigation and deepening his research. The creation of personas, hidden under pseudonyms, was part of this artifice of creating a polyphony of voices created by himself, so that each line of reasoning could be carried to the end. On this contradiction, Craig built his heterodox and revolutionary thought. Lonely and contradictory characters, like Hamlet, satisfied him most of all. But his encounter with Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe, was symbolic not only because it reflected his belief in the mythology of the man who builds a civilization with his own hands, but also in that of the shipwrecked man, abandoned in a desolate and dark environment, like that of second great war that was already announced. This study deals with what I called a masking methodology, and due to the solitary and civilizing nature that this methodology implies, I use as a basis for reflection Craig's project of illustrating with engravings a publication of the novel Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe. Craig identified with the loneliness of Crusoe and Hamlet, and with their ability, despite being alone, to be many.
An approach to Lambe-Lambe Theatre as a scenic resonance device: (Intimate) heterotopias in the public space
This study uses a process of qualitative interviews and research-creation to reflect during the Covid-19 pandemic, on the trade of the "lambista" in Lambe-Lambe Theatre concerning the making of immersive dramaturgies through scenic devices which contribute to an "experiences of resonance”. These elements altogether highlight the importance of "being present" in the creation of sensitive dramaturgies that give rise to "other spaces" and shape "intimate heterotopias" set in the disputed sociocultural territory of public space".
“Lambe-Lambe” theater: a theater of possibilities
The present paper, part of a doctoral thesis in progress at the Graduate Program in Culture and Society at the Federal University of Bahia (Pós-Cultura/UFBA), seeks to examine a type of theater known as “lambe-lambe,” utilizing the basic concepts that guide the actors that created it, puppet artists Ismine Lima (1950-2022) and Denise di Santos. The paper also explores this type of theater’s pedagogical and emancipatory potential, based on the artistic practice developed by students at the Center for Culture, Expressions and Applied Technologies of the Federal University of the Bahian Recôncavo (Cecult/UFRB).
The history of puppet theater from the perspective of displacements: a perspective
This article aims to reflect on the importance of migratory movements for the construction of a history of puppet theater in Brazil and Argentina. In this sense, we start from the premise that the historian of this scenic language must take into account the concept of “connected history” in order to create a “national history”, since international connections, which occur mainly through migratory movements, are fundamental for a better understanding of the trajectory of puppet theater in these countries.
Lambe-Lambe Teather: a stage for the Amazon
This article seeks to reveal the procedures for popularizing the Lambe-lambe Theater in Amazonas based on the Extension Project, running since 2021, firstly in a telepresence format and, from 2023, in person. It reports on the first steps of language in Amazonas, relating study, research and practice with artists, students, teachers and curious people, in order to highlight the importance of university extensions as a space for dialogue with the community and the promotion of knowledge.
The Trail of the Cassimiros Who Crossed Borders
In this brief study, I draw upon texts previously produced by myself and other scholars from earlier research, aiming to trace the paths of the "cassemireiros" who arrived in Maranhão. The intention is to offer data capable of providing an understanding of how the Cassimiro Coco puppet migrated from the Northeast to the Mid-North region, and, especially, how this puppet manages to remain present in the "toldas" (tent shows) of popular Maranhão artists.
The artifacts (re)tell the city: the public as co-author of the Theater of Documentary Objects
The article reflects on how artists can develop ways of (re)telling the city through the Theater of Documentary Objects, considering the spectator as co-author of the artistic experience. Focusing on the virtual workshop ArteFatos(?), from 2022, I seek to analyze the process of opening personal memories at a collective level, thinking about the city through the recording space embodied by the documentary scene with objects. By exploring narratives about material goods that resist time thanks to an affectionate relationship with their owners, the project's main provocative material was twelve biographical accounts of residents of Araranguá/SC. Thus, through different artistic procedures, the work offers paths for reflection on the city and the search for a participating public.
About the origin of the Lambe-Lambe Theater
This article arises from a debate, a discussion, during the event “11º A Luz em Cena” [Held in September 2023, at the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC) in Florianópolis], an event that encompasses the scenographic arts in its entirety, opening space for the discussion of various languages. The objective is to bring some references to address the origins of Teatro Lambe-Lambe and prevent them from running the risk of creating processes of invisibilization of Latin American women artists in relation to their creations. However, the aim is not to exhaust the references, but rather to indicate some so that they can access the information responsibly and avoid the spread of anything erroneous. It is an important article, to have a basis on what lambe-lambe theater is about, and then follow the discussions that have moved the lambeira community and that are also part of the scenographic arts.
The puppet and the mask as a social function in the Southeast folk festivities
The article addresses the use of masks and sculptures in the traditional folguedos (folk festivities) of the Southeast region, focusing on the Folia de Reis (Epiphany procession) and the Guarda de Congo (Congo Guard) of Espírito Santo (ES). In the first case, we discuss the mask in the Folia de Reis procession, both for the clowns or marungos, and for the Three Wise Men characters. In the second case, we discuss the percussive instrument called casaca. Typical of Espírito Santo, this reco-reco (scraper) with a doll's head is specific to the congo bands, and has features that could be considered mamulengo figures (hand puppets), due to being made of wood and having comical features.
Amazonian cask-body: rituals of animation and celebration in the nugget city
colonial rite that merges body, living costume, and territory into a single animated entity. It introduces the concept of the Amazonian mask-body as a living sculpture and critical device that turns animation theatre into a gesture of purification, denunciation, and insurgent celebration. The practice-based research positions the Amazon as an epistemological and communal field of poetic and political resistance.
How to illuminate death? Mysteries of Eleusis, The Visit and Black Cat
This report refers to three lambe-lambe theaters that have death as a dramaturgical principle: Mistérios de Elêusis, A Visita and Gato Negro. Mistérios de Elêusis is a trilogy about the myth of Persephone, ruling goddess of the world of the dead. A Visita and Gato Negro were part of the Instantes de Passagem project, a sextet of lambe-lambe theaters about the intimate moment of death. All three lambe-lambe theaters use a digital projector as a technical resource for scenic composition.
This text presents the 32nd edition of Móin-Móin - Journal of Animated Form Studies, themed “The stage of celebration: Puppet Theater, ritual, festivity, and community”. It details its composition context, the questions that challenged the authors, and an invitation to read the published articles.
From FIMC to Masq’Alors: reflections on community experiences of a mask theater
This study aims to revisit the exchange experiences experienced by the Máscara Encena group through the participation of the show Imobilhados in two twin festivals: FIMC (Cariri International Mask Festival - Brazil) and Masq'Alors (Quebec International Mask Festival - Canada). Based on these experiences, this text aims to reflect on the role of masked theater in strengthening community identity, cultural traditions, knowledge, and celebrations inspired by such initiatives, taking as a starting point the group's performances at these festivals between 2018 and 2019. Keywords: Masked theater festivals; community identity; cultural exchange; Máscara EnCena group.
Colaboradores e Sumário da Ed. 32
From sculpture to the scene: the transformation of machines into machine-actors
This article addresses the participation of machines in the show A Última Invenção by the artistic collective De Pernas Pro Ar from the city of Canoas/RS. In analyzing the procedures used in the construction of the machines and the nature of the scenic actions established between the performer and the robotic machines, the importance of the memory of common objects and the playful interaction is identified as key to imparting a sensitive layer to these machinelike devices, whose appearance is far from human. It is argued that such devices constitute machine-actors that integrate into the scene, not to replace the actor, but to diversify the models of automatons in theater.