Ei! Marionetas / Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora

Ei! Marionetas - Encontro Internacional de Marionetas de Gondomar 2026

José Caldas Lifetime Achievement Award [ TRIBUTE ]

• José Caldas < PORTUGAL + BRAZIL
• M/6 . 30mins . free access

José Caldas Lifetime Achievement Award

José Caldas studied theatre in Brazil at the Brazilian Theatre Foundation and the National Theatre Conservatory in Rio de Janeiro. From 1972 to 1974, he studied mime and movement in London at the CIT School. He was also an external student at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. Between 1974 and 1978, he attended the Pilot School of Education through Art in Lisbon.

In Portugal, from 1975 to 2021, he created 63 productions.

A director, teacher and playwright, he wrote theatre reviews for “O Jornal” and contributed to programmes on RTP such as “Concordo ou talvez não” and “Os Amigos de Gaspar”. As an author, he has published several works; as a director, he has worked in Italy, France, Brazil, Spain and Portugal. He has also won numerous awards in various artistic fields: awards from the Portuguese Association of Theatre Critics; the Biennale Théâtre Jeunes Publics Award – Lyon; and the Maria Casares Award – Galicia.

He has taught at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences: ESMAE; ACE; Ballet Teatro; University of Évora.

He has published “O Instante plural” (Livros Horizonte); “20 Anos de Teatro e Miscigenação” Quinta Parede/Gulbenkian Foundation; “30 Years of Theatre and Young Audiences” Quinta Parede/Gulbenkian; “40 Years of Theatre” Quinta Parede/SPA; “50 Years of Theatre – Profane Miracles” Quinta Parede/SPA.

what the festival has to say

Recognition of an artistic body of work developed over several decades is essential to these moments of coming together, which are common and characteristic of a gathering or a festival.

It would be essential to honor this figure, who is so important in the fields of theater and theater education in Portugal, by bringing a glimpse of his artistic life to the forefront and giving him the tribute he deserves.

The works he created over many years were marked by a very particular approach: this artist engages with and dialogues with the local landscape, heritage, and cultural legacy, blending his Portuguese national identity with his Brazilian identity, expressing both on a single stage.

Major stages have hosted his works, and this immense legacy remains etched in memory— not only of a distinctive dramaturgy—one that delves into the territory to draw inspiration from it—but also of a marked evolution in the actor’s on-stage craft, always in harmony with the intrinsic value of props and set designs, and the choice of colors, to convey to the audience a pictorial and dramaturgical narrative of unparalleled aesthetic beauty.

José Caldas

He graduated from the National Theater Conservatory (Rio de Janeiro), the CityLit School (London) and the School of Education through Art (Lisbon). In Brazil, he worked as an actor and assistant director on “O Balcão”, with Vitor Garcia; “A Celestina”, by Rojas, with Ziembinski; “Album de Família”, by Nelson Rodrigues, with Jaime Barcelos, and “Longe daqui aqui mesmo”, by António Bivar, with Abujamra.

In Portugal he has created 63 shows with various structures and for various independent groups, such as Os Cómicos, OTC, GITT, O Bando, TAS, Grupo de Teatro Hoje, Cendrev, Maizum, TEC, TAI, TUP, O Realejo, Sete Ofícios, Pau e Tela, Seiva Trupe, Teatro do Noroeste, Teatro Bruto, Art'Imagem, Quinta Parede, Teatro Nacional de São João, Cena Lusófona, A Escola da Noite, Teatrão, FC Produções Artísticas, CTB, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Jangada Teatro, Companhia de Ópera do Castelo, Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora, Cassefaz, Teatro do Montemuro, Varazim Teatro.

He has directed productions in France (Centro Dramático Nacional, Lyon), Italy (Assemblea Teatro, Turin, and Centro Teatrale Bresciano) and Galicia (Centro Dramático Galego). He has won four awards from the Portuguese Association of Theatre Critics, the Biennale Théâtre Jeunes Publics Award (Lyon, France) and the María Casares Award (Galicia). He has taught at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, ESMAE, Academia Contemporânea do Espetáculo and Ballet Teatro (Porto) and the University of Évora. He has published: “O Instante plural” (Horizonte); “20 Anos de Teatro e Miscigenação” (Quinta Parede/Gulbenkian Foundation); “30 Anos de Teatro e Jovem Público” (Quinta Parede/Gulbenkian Foundation); “40 Anos de Teatro” (Quinta Parede/SPA); “50 Anos de Teatro - Milagres Profanos” (Quinta Parede/SPA). He has written theatre criticism for “O Jornal” and “Jornal de Notícias”. He held the exhibition “Ex-Votos Teatrais” at the Museu Nacional do Teatro (Lisbon) and the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis (Porto).

links

• scholaris.info/quintaparede/caldas.htm

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