National Museum [All the Voices of Fire]

In September 2018, people from all over the country watched, stupefied, the fire that overtook the São Cristóvão Palace, in Rio de Janeiro, that housed the National Museum, a scientific institute and museum that contained over 20 million items in the fields of Anthropology, Zoology, Geology, Ethnology, Palaeontology and Archeology. Among them, Luzia, the oldest human fossil found in Latin America, and one of the only survivors of the fire.

Museu Nacional [Todas as vozes do fogo], a theater piece by Vinicius Calderoni, uses the disproportionate tragedy and the history of that bicentennial institution as starting points to tell the history of Brazil. Through the voice of Luzia and a larger character gallery, that perform fifteen new songs written in collaboration with Companhia Barca dos Corações Partidos for the show, the musical goes through the large imperial building and, moving through past, present and future, captures stories that were and could have been, about historical figures and common people, living and inanimate beings, material and immaterial objects.

Simultaneously poignant and moving, Museu Nacional [Todas as vozes do fogo] is a lyrical beckoning and a satirical-parodical shakeup that never strays too far from realism and reality.

In addition to the unabridged text of the play and the introduction written by Vinicius Calderoni, the volume features back cover copy by Rita von Hunty and an afterword by Cristiana Serejo, former vice-director of the National Museum.

About the author
Vinicius Calderoni is a playwright, director, composer, singer, actor, screenwriter and the cofounder, alongside Rafael Gomes, of the Cia. Empório de Teatro Sortido. He has written seven adult plays and two plays for children, and won the Shell, APCA (twice), Bibi Ferreira and Reverência awards for Best Writer. He has published Sísifo (2020), Os arqueólogos (2018), Arrã (2017), Não nem nada (2017) and Chorume (2017), all with Cobogó, as well as Mas por quê??! A história de Elvis: uma peça musical (2021). As a screenwriter, he has penned two feature films: 45 do segundo tempo, directed by Luiz Villaça, and Meu álbum de amores, directed by Rafael Gomes. As a singer-songwriter, he has two solo albums (Tranchã, 2007; Para abrir os paladares, 2013) and another four albums with his collective 5 a Seco (Ao vivo no Auditório Ibirapuera, 2012; Policromo, 2014; Síntese, 2018; Pausa, 2019). As an actor, he has worked in one telenovela, two TV series, three feature films and three theater plays.

About the Collection
The Dramaturgia collection has, since 2012, published writing by Brazilian and international playwrights. The books help in building a memory of current theater, making a new record in the contemporary theater scene. In 2015, Cobogó also launched Dramaturgia Espanhola, the Spanish collection, in 2019, Dramaturgia Francesa, the French collection, and, in 2022, Dramaturgia Holandesa, the Dutch collection. Over 70 important theater authors have been published, with over 100 titles, including various award-winning plays.

Specifications
Title Museu Nacional (Todas as vozes do fogo)
National Museum (All the Voices of Fire)
Author Vinicius Calderoni
Language Portuguese
Page count 152
Publisher Cobogó
ISBN 978-65-5691-129-8
Cover Beto Martins
Format Softcover
Size 13 x 19 cm
Year 2023