Rodrigues, Nelson (1912–1980)

Nelson Rodrigues (b. 23 August 1912; d. 22 December 1980), Brazilian dramatist and journalist. Rodrigues's plays deal with the lives of the bourgeoisie and the lower classes—including slum dwellers and prostitutes—who see themselves as victims of oppression. He described his dramas as "pestilent," fetid" and his characters as "monsters." His exaggerated preoccupations with Brazilian machismo and sex brought him great popularity. His plays were brought to the stage by Brazil's leading directors, including Zbigniew Ziembinski and Antunes Filho. Artistically, Rodrigues singlehandedly brought Brazilian drama into the twentieth century with O vestido de noiva (1943; The Wedding Dress, 1980), an innovative play for its time owing to its complex narrative levels: the past, the present, and the plane of hallucinations. Other works include O Beijo no Asfalto (1961) and Toda nudez será castigada (1965).

See alsoJournalism; Theater.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

See Fred M. Clark's introduction to his translation of The Wedding Dress (Valencia, 1980); and Randal Johnson, "Nelson Rodrigues as Filmed by Arnaldo Jabor," in Latin American Theater Review (Fall 1982): 15-28.

Additional Bibliography

Cafezeiro, Edwaldo, and Carmem Gadelha. História do teatro brasileira: Um percurso de Anchieta a Nelson Rodrigues. Rio de Janeiro: Editora UFRJ, 1996.

Fraga, Eudinyr. Nelson Rodrigues expressionista. Cotia, SP, Brazil: Ateliê Editorial, 1998.

                                              Irwin Stern