Free and touring across the city, Entre a Cruz e os Canibais (Between the Cross and the Cannibals) uses sharp humor to expose the violent origins of São Paulo in 1599. Shows run throughout March.
A farce about São Paulo’s birth
After its premiere earlier in 2026, Entre a Cruz e os Canibais begins touring different districts of São Paulo with free admission. The production visits CEU Alvarenga, Teatro Leopoldo Fróes, CEU Parque Anhanguera, and Galeria Olido — reinforcing its commitment to cultural decentralization and access for the general public, including students from public schools.
Written and directed by Marcos Damigo, the play is a farcical comedy set in 1599 that dramatizes the clash between Portugal’s colonial ambitions and the grim reality of the small settlement then known as Vila de São Paulo de Piratininga. Four figures of authority — a Judge, a Councilman, a Solicitor, and Governor-General Dom Francisco de Souza — compete for power as a political crisis unfolds.
The conflict that shaped an identity
As residents revolt against the Judge’s abuses, fear mounts over an indigenous attack triggered by the illegal kidnapping of allied Tupi people. The Solicitor — a Portuguese outcast with close ties to indigenous communities — bets on the Crown’s intervention to enforce the law banning their enslavement. The result is a pointed portrait of how the systematic exploitation of indigenous labor took root precisely as São Paulo made its first moves toward economic expansion.
The aim is not to faithfully reconstruct historical events, but to treat characters as archetypes — exposing the machinery of power and the interests behind the heroic narrative of the bandeirantes.
Cast, score, and aesthetics
The cast features José Rubens Chachá (Judge), Fabio Esposito (Councilman), Daniel Costa (Solicitor), and Thiago Claro França (Governor-General). The original score was composed by Adriano Salhab, who also performs live alongside Thiago Claro França. Costumes by Marichilene Artisevskis draw on Brazilian modernism and Tropicália — cultural movements that critically revisited national identity. The set is built from hand-painted canvases, and video design is by Guarani filmmaker Richard Wera Mirim.
Historical consultants Paulo Rezzutti and Rodrigo Bonciani advised on accuracy, while dramaturgical consulting was provided by Luís Alberto de Abreu. The production is sponsored by Google Cloud through São Paulo’s Municipal Culture Incentive Law (PROMAC).
Show information
Entre a Cruz e os Canibais
Running time: 85 minutes | Age rating: 12+ | Genre: musical comedy
Post-show discussions at all performances. Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) and Audio Description available at 8 PM sessions on March 18, 20, and 27, and at the March 28 session.
March 18 (Wednesday), 3 PM and 8 PM
CEU Alvarenga — Estr. do Alvarenga, 3752 – Balneário São Francisco – São Paulo/SP
March 20 (Friday), 3 PM and 8 PM
Teatro Leopoldo Fróes — Av. João Dias, 822 – Santo Amaro – São Paulo/SP
March 27 (Friday), 3 PM and 8 PM
CEU Parque Anhanguera — R. Pedro José de Lima, 1020 – Anhanguera – São Paulo/SP
March 28 (Saturday), 7 PM
March 29 (Sunday), 6 PM
Galeria Olido – Sala Olido — Av. São João, 473 – Centro Histórico – São Paulo/SP
Free admission
Photo: Heloisa Bortz
