Invisible Cities, a farcical play inspired by Italo Calvino, opens April 24 at Teatro Arthur Azevedo in São Paulo — free admission, all ages welcome.
Imagine a street peddler hauling an old film projector through the desert, showing moving images of cities he once visited — until he meets the emperor of Mongolia inside a makeshift circus ring. That is the premise of Invisible Cities, a comic theatrical piece directed and written by Marcelo Romagnoli, freely inspired by the celebrated novel by Italian Nobel Prize–winning author Italo Calvino (1926–1985). The show opens on April 24, 2026, at the Teatro Arthur Azevedo, in São Paulo, with free tickets.
A traveling Marco Polo and a Khan under the big top
In this staging, Marco Polo — played by Pernambuco-born actor Gúryva Portela — is no Venetian aristocrat. He is a wandering vendor who carries a cinematograph on his back and projects images of fantastical cities onto makeshift screens. Across from him, the mighty Kublai Khan, portrayed by Claudio Carneiro, listens to each tale with equal parts wonder and suspicion.
The production draws a bridge between the Eastern deserts and the deep interior of Brazil. The stage is set as a circus ring, where clowning and metatheatre merge into an experience accessible to audiences of all ages.
A cast rooted in circus and popular theater
Claudio Carneiro brings deep experience in clowning, having performed with the Cirque du Soleil for 15 years. Gúryva Portela is a recognized figure in Brazil’s northeastern popular theater tradition. Together, they deliver a performance that balances slapstick and lyricism, philosophy and play.
Music, set design, and projections create a singular aesthetic
The original soundtrack is composed by musician and fiddle player Renata Rosa, whose sound weaves together Tuareg desert music and northeastern Brazilian folk traditions. The set design by Zé Valdir Albuquerque places the action in a rustic, sandy landscape while keeping the improvised circus atmosphere alive.
Video projections by the collective Um Cafofo (André Grynwask and Pri Argoud) evoke silent cinema and bring to life the mythical cities Marco Polo supposedly visited in the Middle Ages. Lighting is by Rodrigo Bella Dona; costumes by Silvana Marcondes.
In the director’s words
Invisible Cities is a popular show that expands the power of imagination and places before us some keys to living in society. The book, published in 1972, surprises us because its cities are not a physical concept, but a symbology of human experience.
Marcelo Romagnoli, director
In an era of information overload and endless ready-made images, the play invites the audience to build cities within themselves — because, as Calvino suggests, every city is made less of stone and more of gaze.
Production and funding
The show is produced by Cia Vúrdon de Teatro Itinerante and was selected through ProAC Public Notice No. 22/2024 — Production and Season of Unpublished Theater, from the Secretariat of Culture, Economy and Creative Industries of the State of São Paulo.
Event Info
- Show: Invisible Cities — freely inspired by the work of Italo Calvino
- Open rehearsal: April 23, 2026 (Thursday), 8 PM
- Opening night: April 24, 2026 (Friday), 8 PM
- Season: April 24 to May 10, 2026
- Schedule: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM | Sundays at 7 PM
- Tickets: Free — available at the box office 1 hour before each performance
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Rating: General audience (all ages)
- Genre: Dramatic comedy
- Venue: Teatro Arthur Azevedo — Av. Paes de Barros, 955, Alto da Mooca, São Paulo/SP, Brazil
- Capacity: 349 seats | Accessibility: Yes
- Phone: +55 (11) 2604-5558
- Theater on social media: @teatroarthurazevedosp
- Show on social media: @cidadesinvisiveispeca
