The unknown that inhabits the book's verses is confused between the lyrical self, the reader and the characters that appear in the work: a mother, a father, a grandmother, a grandfather, a lover. The poet investigates poetry, as in the poem in which he says that poetry / is never an attempt / to cheat life / it is / only / a naked dance / under the tireless gaze / of death, or even in the poem "Being prepared is everything", where the poet translates the ways he finds to write poems, thus expanding a repertoire of possibilities about poetic making. From the very first stanzas we know that there is a target to be hit, because when we hit the target we make it our own in some way. After all, who is the target?

Controversial and disturbing, xs culpadxs, a new book by playwright Carlos Canhameiro, was born during the pandemic and has as its main theme the massacre of a family accused of infecting the residents of a small town with a fatal disease. This is the fuse that makes us reflect on feelings that are "central in moments of crisis, especially fear, fear of the unknown, which triggers paranoia, prejudice, irrationality," as described by researcher and playwright Silvana Garcia, who wrote the book's introduction.

Once upon a time there was a grandma who told stories... Or once upon a time there was a story of a grandma who... Or the story of once upon a time grandma... Or it was once, two, three thousand stories for all sides, for all tastes and even for the sad day. Once upon a time there was so much! A grandmother who carried books under her arm and a lot of stories to tell to her grandchildren, her granddaughters, her neighbours, her friends and even to strangers. Once upon a time there was a grandmother full of once upon a time! And the Once upon a time of this grandmother - who did not like to be called a mistress - had no limits. She could be any age, any size, a woman, a trans-boy, an Eskimo from the Sahara and even from nowhere. After all, how many Once Upon a Time can there be in a book?

In his second book of poetry, Carlos Canhameiro dives into current and timeless questions, interspersing them with reflections on his own poetic work. And he presents himself as the multiple artist that he is - actor, director, playwright and writer who traverses various languages with ease.
In the midst of so many paths, there is in ATALHO (Shorcut) a militancy, a surrender to the characters, with which the author assumes various roles and voices. Or he immerses himself in various universes, such as football, violence, fatherhood, consumerism, religion, gender issues and, of course, love and sex.

Four years after writing O canto das mulheres do asfalto (The song of the asphalt women), in 2014, a play that was staged by the hands of director Georgette Fadel with a successful career of presentations and good reviews, Carlos decides to talk about the masculine. The author has the perception of the urgency in researching the masculine when he comes across a phrase by Virginie Despentes, in King Kong Theory: "what autonomy are men so afraid of that they continue to be silent, to invent nothing? Not to produce any new, critical, inventive discourse on their own condition? When is the male emancipation for?". From there begins the writing of the dramaturgy of O canto dos homens da terra (The song of the land men).

Italian edition of the book O canto das mulheres do asfalto. Publisher: Lamparina Luminosa.

Imagine if, overnight, all the religious holidays in the country were extinguished by presidential decree. What would be the reaction of the church, workers, students, tourism companies and commerce in general? Based on this hypothesis, Carlos Canhameiro wrote the play ANTIdeus (ANTIgod). The play won the III Mostra de Dramaturgia em Pequenos Formatos Cênicos of CCSP.

Carlos Canhameiro's first book of poetry. Published by the Lamparina Luminosa publishing house. The book won the City of Manaus Literary Award, 2018.

Commemorative book for the ten years of Cia. LCT, with the complete text of the play Council of Destruction. Finalist of the Luso-Brazilian Dramaturgy Award.

When women give up giving birth. Denying the future. Ending the killing of their children by present cruelty. Exalting a now without future fictions, without useless hopes. O Canto das Mulheres do Asfalto, new play by playwright Carlos Canhameiro, composed of several songs that unfold the premise of a world where women refuse to give birth to new children.

The play was written in 2006 within the project "Escrita Aberta" of Cia. dos Dramaturgos. It premiered in January 2013 at CCSP (where the text was published and distributed for free to the spectator) Directed by Marcelo Lazzaratto The story starts from the murder of a young man during a demonstration in the city of Genoa, Italy, who preached against the G8, an international group formed by the seven most economically developed countries in the world (United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada) plus Russia, which meet to discuss issues of international scope, such as global, social and ecological policies. Thus begins the drama that, with acid humour, investigates the downfalls men encounter in their lives.

Texto de Rodrigo García
TRADUÇÃO - Carlos Canhameiro e Chico LIma