Palcos em ruínas: o que o teatro pode nos contar sobre os territórios dos sítios arqueológicos missioneiros no Brasil, Argentina e Paraguai?

Abstract

Our research topic is theater as a possible educational and didactic tool in the formation of collective memory in the territories of the archaeological sites of the Jesuit-Guarani Missions in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, seeking to understand the asymmetrical power relations expressed in these missionary territories and landscapes. The general objective is to analyze power relations, past and present, in our research areas, through an interdisciplinary approach that articulates Art, History and Geography. To this end, we problematize the power asymmetries established between the Portuguese and Spanish crowns, the Jesuits and the Guarani people, based on a critical analysis of theatrical texts produced by Jesuit priests, engaging in dialogue with authors and research in the aforementioned areas. As specific objectives, we seek to analyze contemporary missionary performances, verifying to what extent they contribute to the understanding of the colonization process and to reflection on its consequences today. Furthermore, we propose a critique of art that conceals or reveals power discourses present in contemporary missionary territories and landscapes. The methodological approach was based on a survey of theoretical references, fieldwork (Neto, 2002) and content analysis (Moraes, 1999). The results indicate that the representations of power in archaeological sites still reproduce colonial perspectives, evidenced by the centrality of religious symbols, the predominance of performances with reduced criticism of the colonizing process, and the absence of the remaining indigenous peoples as active agents in these spaces of memory.