Past Present Zenturo investigates the experience of time and presence in contemporary society through a collective creation that interrelates with Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov and March to Zenturo by Grace Passô (A Brazilian playwright). From these works, the performance incorporates not only themes, but also procedures rooted in the ‘viewpoints’ practice: time as the structure of the scene, delay as a device for actions and relationships, and communication failure as a scenic game. The narrative projects an apparently dystopian future. In the year 2441, living in the “now” has become a disease. On stage, characters affected by delays, missed connections, and failures of listening try to act, speak, and relate – but they always seem to arrive after the event has already happened. The collapse of relationships is revealed in the reunion of a group of friends at a New Year’s Eve party, while, in parallel, a march takes place outside, chanting “For Zenturo!” Without offering answers, the play invites the audience into a critical and sensitive experience about technology, virtuality, emotional illness, and the ways we perceive and sustain the present as a shared experience.
Director
André Haidamus is a theatre director, teacher, and a cultural producer. At Teatro Escola Macunaíma, he conducts practice-based research in acting, actor training, and ensemble creation. He has been the founder and producer of DAS Coletivo Colaborativo de Formação Artística and a former Artistic-Pedagogical Coordinator at Studio Fátima Toledo – Centre for Film Preparation (2011–2013). He acquired theatre training in a program ‘Educação Plus para Professores de Teatro: O exercício como caminho para o conhecimento’ which was organized in partnership with the European Association of Theatre Culture – AKT-ZENT (International Theatre Institute).
Director’s Note
My work as a theatre director and teacher combines contemporary practices with elements of the Stanislavski System – especially the development of actions, objectives, inner states, and truthful relationships on stage. Past Present Zenturo emerges from this journey as an ensemble creation that investigates time and presence in contemporary society. Through the interrelation with Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov and March to Zenturo by Grace Passô, the line of action is organised through temporal milestones treated as scenic situations, shaping encounters, movements, and states of presence and absence. Without offering answers, the performance invites the audience into a critical and sensitive experience about technology, virtuality, emotional illness, and how we sustain the present as a shared experience.
Group
Zenturo, a theatre group based in São Paulo, Brazil, is formed by actors trained at Teatro Escola Macunaíma. The group develops its projects through continuous actor training, listening, and ensemble practice, combining the foundations of the Stanislavski System with contemporary procedures. Alongside original creations, Zenturo has built an eclectic repertoire engaging with different authors and theatrical traditions such as Bertolt Brecht, William Shakespeare, José Triana, and Brazilian Indigenous thinker, Ailton Krenak. Zenturo strengthened its international presence by marking Brazil’s debut at the 5th GITIS FEST, held in Moscow, Russia, in April 2024. In Brazil, the group consolidated national recognition by performing in festivals in São Paulo like Festival Profissionalizante de Barueri, Festival de Vinhedo, and Satyrianas. In 2025, the group was selected for a season at Theatre of the University of São Paulo, reinforcing its artistic and institutional recognition.