Timon de Atenas

Teatro Maison de France

The celebrated adaptation of the National Theatre of London’s production of Shakespeare’s classic Timon of Athens premieres on October 9 at the Théâtre Maison de France in Rio. The play transposes the story of the patron into the present day, directed by Bruce Gomlevsky, with Vera Holtz in the lead role. The production follows the international trend of casting women in traditionally male roles without dressing as men, known as «gender neutral.»

In the story, Timon of Athens is a wealthy patron who celebrates his friends, art, and power with almost foolish kindness, combined with vanity. He wants to please everyone, deserving or not, buying affection, friendships, and his status as a celebrity with his “generosity.” In an environment of protests and demonstrations by the people against the system, Timon, alienated, ignores what’s happening around him. His life takes a turn when he finds himself in debt, loses everything, and discovers that he no longer has prestige or friends. He then chooses to isolate himself from the world.

Vera Holtz shares the stage with Tonico Pereira and 18 other actors to tell the story and bring 27 characters to life. The cast includes Alice Borges, Iano Salomão, Marcelo Morato, Lorena da Silva, Paulo Giardini, Jaime Leibovitch, Braulio Giordano, Giovanna de Toni, Alice Steinbruck, Juliana Bebé, Tatsu Carvalho, Lourinelson Vladmir, Charles Asevedo, Junior Prata, Betto Marque, Luiz Felipe Lucas, André Rosa, and Henrique Gotardo.

Combining art with technology through projections and animations that interact with the furniture and stage objects, the text was translated by Barbara Heliodora, with an adaptation by Susan Mace and Izabel dos Reis Velloso. The play will run until December 7 at the Théâtre Maison de France.