Celebrating 30 years, Cia Os Buriti stages “Depois do Silêncio” at Teatro Poeira, in Rio, from 13 January to 25 February 2026, in an inclusive production about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.
After a short run in 2022, the play “Depois do Silêncio” (“After the Silence”), by Brasília-based company Os Buriti, returns to Rio de Janeiro for a new season at Teatro Poeira. On stage from 13 January to 25 February 2026, with performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m., the piece blends theatre and dance to tell the true story of American deafblind woman Helen Keller and her transformative meeting with teacher Anne Sullivan, in a show performed both in Portuguese and Brazilian Sign Language (libras).
Artistically directed by Eliana Carneiro, the production focuses on Helen’s journey from early-childhood illness and isolation to the moment when she discovers communication through tactile sign language. The bond with Anne Sullivan, hired by the Keller family, becomes the driving force of a demanding learning process that opens up language, autonomy and political awareness.
Theatre, dance and libras on stage
On stage, actresses Camila Guerra and Naira Carneiro play Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller. Deaf actress Renata Rezende brings autobiographical elements to the performance, creating a parallel dialogue between the historical setting of the 1890s and the present, linking Helen’s experience to today’s debates on accessibility and disability rights.
The show is performed in spoken Portuguese and in Brazilian Sign Language (libras) by the cast, making the piece accessible to both deaf and hearing audiences. “The play aims not only to encourage young people and adults to reflect on accessibility and visibility of people with disabilities, but also to serve as a concrete example of inclusion, through the encounter of hearing and deaf actresses on stage,” says Naira Carneiro.
Combining theatre and dance, “Depois do Silêncio” relies on body, gesture, rhythm and silence as tools of communication. The staging highlights tactile sign language as a turning point in Helen’s life and underscores the emotional and pedagogical strength of the relationship between student and teacher.
Thirty years of Cia Os Buriti
Founded in 1995 and based in Brasília, Cia Os Buriti – Teatro de Dança marked its 30th anniversary in 2025. Created by Eliana Carneiro, the company is formed by her children Naira Carneiro and Guian Larrea, actress Camila Guerra, deaf performer Renata Rezende and musicians Jorge Brasil, André Togni, Daniel Pitanga, Marília Carvalho, Diogo Vanelli and Carlos Frazão, in a continuous dialogue between music, movement and storytelling.
The group has toured extensively in Brazil and abroad, with appearances in Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Greece, India, Mexico, Paraguay and Romania, in festivals and events dedicated to theatre, dance and music. In January 2026, Os Buriti will also present the retrospective programme “Os Buriti 30 anos” at CCBB Brasília.
Over three decades, the company has created 16 original works, including “À Beira do Sol” (2022), “Depois do Silêncio” (2021), “Lampião no Céu” (2017), “KALO – Filhos do Vento” (2016), “Aurora” (2016), “Os Buriti Contam Histórias” (2013), “Cantos de Encontro” (2012), “Blima – Imagens do Sagrado” (2012) and “Varal de Histórias” (2010), consolidating an authorial language grounded in Brazilian cultures and oral traditions.
The journey of “Depois do Silêncio”
“Depois do Silêncio” premiered online in 2021 on YouTube and soon took part in several virtual festivals, including Festival de Mujeres en Escena por la Paz (Colombia), Festival Funarte Acessibilidança and Mulher em Cena 2021 (Federal District). In the same year, it had its in-person debut at MID – Mostra Internacional de Dança, at CCBB Brasília, and was featured in the Campão Cultural festival (Mato Grosso do Sul).
In 2022, the show travelled to Spain for Teatrália, joined the Festival do Teatro Brasileiro – FTB (Bahia) and the Festival Brasileiro de Teatro Toni Cunha (Santa Catarina). It was also part of SESC RJ PULSAR, with a short season at Sesc Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro), and of the Modos de Acessar showcase at Sesc Paulista (São Paulo).
In 2023, “Depois do Silêncio” played at the reopening of Teatro SESI Sorocaba (São Paulo). In 2024, it toured SESI SP units in São José dos Campos and São José do Rio Preto, and joined SESC PULSAR in the cities of Nova Iguaçu, Barra Mansa, São João de Meriti and Teresópolis (Rio de Janeiro). The piece was also presented at “Crear en Libertad – Encuentro Internacional de Danza y Artes Contemporáneas de Asunción”, in Paraguay.
In 2025, the production had seasons at SESC Goiânia (Goiás), Caixa Cultural Brasília and SESC Gama (Federal District), and returned to Paraguay for a run at Teatro Municipal de Asunción. The 2026 Rio season strengthens the play’s trajectory as a reference in accessible and inclusive performing arts.
Helen Keller: language, struggle and emancipation
Helen Keller (1880–1968) was an American writer and social activist, and the first deafblind person to attend a higher education institution. Graduated in philosophy, she became an influential voice in the defence of social rights, women’s rights and disability rights, through books, lectures and public advocacy.
At 18 months old, Helen contracted an illness that left her blind and deaf. Without access to communication, she was seen as a rebellious child, prone to tantrums and outbursts. Before turning seven, she began working with teacher Anne Sullivan, who patiently taught her tactile sign language by spelling words into her hand until their meaning became clear.
The first word Helen understood was “water”, and on that same day she learned around 30 new words. She later mastered braille and manual alphabets, which allowed her to read and write, and eventually to speak. Helen and Anne stayed together for 49 years, travelling, lecturing and promoting sign language, inclusion and the emancipation of people with disabilities — a legacy that lies at the heart of “Depois do Silêncio”.
Crew – Depois do Silêncio
Directors: Eliana Carneiro and Rogero Torquato
Artistic direction and choreography: Eliana Carneiro
Devising performers: Camila Guerra, Naira Carneiro and Renata Rezende
Script and dramaturgy: The company
Original score: Diogo Vanelli
Lighting design: Camilo Soudant
Set design: Rodrigo Lélis
Graphic art and video art: Gabriel Guirá
Design: Gilberto Filho
Costumes: The company
Doll: Neuza Freire
Photos: Diego Bresani
Executive production: Thiago Miyamoto
Press office: Paula Catunda and Catharina Rocha
Production direction: Naira Carneiro | Os Buriti Produções Artísticas
Production: Cia Os Buriti
Website: http://osburiti.com.br
Instagram: @osburiti | @depois.do.silencio.espetaculo
Facebook: facebook.com/osburiti
Service – Depois do Silêncio
Play: “Depois do Silêncio” – Cia Os Buriti
Season: 13 January to 25 February 2026
Venue: Teatro Poeira
Address: Rua São João Batista, 104 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
Days and time: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m.
Tickets: R$ 80 (full) and R$ 40 (half)
Online sales: Sympla
Box office: Tuesday to Saturday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Age rating: 12 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 170 seats
Photo: Diego Bresani
