Notes on the 'Afterlife' of Children's Theater Dramaturgy in the Context of Editorial Mediation from the National Children's Theater Competition

Abstract

he popularity of Brazilian children’s theater plays among young audiences stems not from reading the dramatic texts but from access to their staged performances (Zilberman, 2005). Thus, it can be argued that published children’s dramaturgy in Brazil—at least until the mid-1990s (with very few exceptions)—was not intended for child readers (reception via printed text) but rather for adult professionals working in theater. These professionals were responsible for staging the plays, which were then directed at children.

This study seeks to confirm and illustrate this argument by examining an example of 1970s published dramaturgy within the context of Brazilian playwriting competitions, particularly the National Children’s Theater Competition—Teatro infantil – 1976, which featured four award-winning plays. The publication of this volume—like others from the competition and similar events in Brazil—reflects an early form of editorial mediation (Chartier, 2002a, 2002b). This process ensured that significant texts could endure, reach subsequent periods, and find new readers.