The Debate

The Debate, by Guel Arraes and Jorge Furtado, is, in the authors’ own words, a play “written in the urgency of political events in 2021 Brazil”. The time is in the near future: October 2022, when there are still pandemic threats (there's a new strain, ten times more contagious); more precisely, on the date of the last presidential election debate between former president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva and sitting president Jair Messias Bolsonaro. The place is the rooftop of a TV station building, where journalists Marcos, editor of the evening news, and Paula, evening news anchor, meet on their breaks to have coffee, cigarettes and talk about the debate, the elections, their political positions, passions and ideas, and their — but also our — lives.

“As is the norm for playwriting, character introductions are clear and succinct, similar to ideograms”, says sociologist and writer José Almino in the book’s afterword.

Throughout their meetings, they will deal with the conflict of making journalism in times of news manipulation, faced with the (im)possibility of press neutrality, the importance of tolerance and respect for democracy. A debate about private passions and public ideas.

About the authors
Guel Arraes was born in Recife in 1953. He has worked as a director, author and producer, moving through television, film and stage. Using multiple languages, his research constantly questions the act of narration. On TV, he had part in creating iconic shows such as Armação ilimitada (Set-ups unlimited), TV Pirata (Pirate TV), Programa legal (Nice Show), A Comedy of Private Lives, Big Family, and others. In 1996, he made his theater debut directing, alongside João Falcão, a production of Molière’s The Bourgeois Gentleman. Many of his productions stand out for the interest in retelling classics of Brazilian literature. In 1999, with João and Adriana Falcão, he adapted and directed the micro-series A Dog's Will, inspired by Ariano Suassuna’s play. He coordinated the Núcleo Guel Arraes at Rede Globo until 2019.

Jorge Furtado was born in Porto Alegre in 1959. He’s a film and television director and writer, having worked on films such as O dia em que Dorival encarou a guarda (The Day Dorival faced the guard), Isle of Flowers, Two Summers, The Man who Copied, Basic Sanitation, the Movie, and TV shows such as August, Memorial de Maria Moura (Maria Moura Memorial), A Comedy of Private Lives, A invenção do Brasil (The Invention of Brazil), Decamerão, Sweet Mother, Mister Brau and Under Pressure. He’s the author of Trabalhos de amor perdidos (Lost works of love), novel, My Uncle Killed a Guy, short stories, Pedro Malazarte e a arara gigante (Pedro Malazarte and the giant parrot), children’s play. He's a creator and partner at Casa de Cinema de Porto Alegre. His most recent work, also in collaboration with Guel Arraes, is the film adaptation of João Guimarães Rosa’s The Devil to Pay in the Backlands.

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, and, in 2019, Dramaturgia Francesa, the French collection. Over 70 authors have been published, with 82 titles.

Specifications
Collection Dramaturgy Collection
Authors Guel Arraes and Jorge Furtado
Language Portuguese
Page count 80
ISBN 9786556910369
Cover Thiago Lacaz
Format Softcover
Size 13 x 19 cm
Year 2021