Almost hundred-year old Theatre and still ready to go on with the show

On 5 March, the National Theatre São João (TNSJ) blowed its 99 candles and opened doors to the city of Porto to present the general guidelines to celebrate the centennial in 2020.

The paper themed "Dez ideias para (mais) dez anos de Teatro Nacional São João" ["Ten ideias for ten (more) years of TNSJ", free translation], was presented by Pedro Sobrado and sheds some light on the initiatives prepared to commemorate the life of this institution and define strategies towards the future.

The establishment of an "Almost Resident Company", including a cast of eight actors was one of the novelties put forward by the President of the Board of Administration of the TNSJ. "We are never as productive or profitable as when we have resident actors", he stated, "as the viability of a cast of actors favours both the national and the international circulation of performers and actors".

The newly appointed Artistic Director, Nuno Cardoso will stage three in-house productions, namely "Danton's Death", a play by Georg Büchner, "The Balcony", by Jean Genet, and "Castro", by António Ferreira.

The major priorities for the coming year are the decentralisation of culture in the northern part of the country and the establishment of links and partnerships with other companies and theatres outside Porto. Thus, there are five co-productions prepared for the coming year, including 20 20, by Circolando, Lorenzaccio, staged by Rogério de Carvalho ( Bolhão Theatre) by Alfred de Musset, "O Burguês Gentil-Homem", created by Ricardo Alves (Palmilha Dentada) by Molière, a project by Marco Martins, produced by Arena Ensemble e Mês, by Mónica Calle.

In addition, the TNSJ will renew the bond with UTE - Union des Théâtres de l'Europe, so as strengthen European links and the places to perform its productions. The first destination is set; it will be in Cabo Verde, in November.

The TNSJ will also bet on the publishing activity, with the "Empilhadora", the editorial project that will print the biographies of the lives of Samuel Beckett or James Knowlson.

The Centennial Booklets are also part of this ambitious enterprise by the TNSJ between 2020 and 2021. These are a set of thematic publications focusing on 100 testimonies of 100 performances.

Lastly, the building itself will be renovated, namely the stage structure and the electrical systems.

One hundred years more for the theatre, hey?!