After a few years working as an actor, Manoel Candeias began studying dramaturgy and scriptwriting. In addition to reading and practicing dramatic writing intensely, he attended courses, workshops and seminars with prominent Brazilian names in theatre and audiovisual, such as Renata Pallottini, José Antônio de Souza, Carlos Reichenbach, Maria Adelaide Amaral, Neyde Veneziano and Walcyr Carrasco, among others. “In this process, exchanges with more experienced colleagues and professionals were extremely important, especially with Fauzi Arap and José Antônio de Souza”, says the author.
His debut as a playwright and director took place in 1999, with Juventude Transvirada, in season at the Centro Cultural Elenko/KVA, in São Paulo. In 2004, his second play, Te Encontro Lá Embaixo, was presented at the Centro Cultural São Paulo, directed by Nilton Bicudo, with production and staging assistance from the author. In the same theatre, in 2005, Volátil premiered, written and directed by Manoel Candeias. In 2008, his play Quase Anônimos, an original version of Te Encontro Lá Embaixo, was staged at Teatrix, in São Paulo, this time directed by Paula Micchi.
The author also has unstaged texts, including A Cidade do Urso, winner of the 1st Dramaturgy Competition for Children and Youth (2023) by Teatro Art’Imagem, a theatre company from Maia, Porto, Portugal, and The Brothers Karamazow, adaptation written in partnership with Caio Blat of the Fyodor Dostoievsky’s novel of the same name, scheduled for premiere by the end of 2024, in Rio de Janeiro.
Click on the titles of the plays to read a summary, excerpts, and information about the performances (only in Portuguese)
Manoel Candeias 