“UM CASAMENTO FELIZ”
(*) Ewa Procter
When one is going through difficult times, the best thing is to try and look for something pleasant, something that would bring some relief to every day’s troubles.
A good thing (and I recommend it!) is to go and watch a comedy. But it must be a good comedy! “Um Casamento Feliz” is an excellent example of my recommendation. It is an adaptation of a French play that was a huge success in France; so much so that it was even indicated a few years ago for an award as Best Text!
“Um Casamento Feliz” is considered a boulevard comedy. This is the kind of theatre where many French authors (such as Barrilet and Gredy, among many others) are masters. And the same goes for Gerard Bitton and Michel Munz, the authors of this play. Although originally written in French, Flávio Marinho, a Brazilian author and translator, prepared a very interesting adaptation for this theatre comedy for its presentations in Brazil.
The plot is very simple. In order to receive an inheritance, Henrique must obey a condition stated in the will of his deceased aunt: he must get married and keep a happy marriage for at least one year. Although this may sound like an easy proposition, Henrique is furious with this idea: he is a Don Juan and has no wish to ever getting married. However, the money he would inherit is a very tempting proposition, so… What about a false gay marriage with a very good male friend of his? And this is when the comedy – very much in a French style – starts and brings us all the laughs we deserve.
The cast, under the direction of J. R. Deville, takes very good advantage of their roles. But a special mention should be made to Renato Rabello, as Dodo, Henrique’s friend. Rabello performs very well both in straight and comic moments during the entire performance. After the play was over, comments were made by several members of the audience that Renato Rabello is a most interesting young comedian, somebody who should be very successful in the future in many different roles in the world of comedy. One must remember at this time that several old comedians are now gone or retired. New people are necessary to take over the roles!
Back to our play. This is not a new run – a run that, unfortunately will be very short! However, “Um Casamento Feliz” has been presented recently in other theatres, including the Teatro Vannucci at the Shopping da Gávea, before landing for (maybe) its final run at the Teatro Maison de France. The play opened on the 10th of October and is scheduled to finish on the 27th of October. Less than a month of performances, but who knows? Maybe another theatre will house this excellent comedy in the future!
But now the play is at the Teatro Maison de France! This very comfortable theatre is located on Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 58 – dowtown Rio de Janeiro. Phone number for reservations is 2544-2533. There is a small café at the waiting room of the theatre, with coffee and snacks before the performances. No formal parking at the theatre, but there are plenty of taxis awaiting at the door once the play is over.
Performances take place on Thursdays and Sundays at 06:00 P.M., on Fridays at 07:30 P.M., and on Saturdays at 08:00 P.M. Price of tickets is R$ 60,00 (sixty Reais) on Thursdays, R$ 70,00 (seventy Reais) on Fridays and Sundays, and R$ 80,00 (eighty Reais) on Saturdays. The play lasts for ninety minutes, without an interval. Censorship is for young people under the age of twelve.
