Mamulengo Puppet Theatre in the socio-culture context of twentieth-century Brazil

Abstract

Mamulengo is a popular form of puppet theatre in Pernambuco, a state located in the Northeast region of Brazil. It seems to have originated about two centuries ago, and even today, it remains a significant form of entertainment for the people of the Northeast region. In this thesis, Mamulengo is approached as a popular puppet theatre tradition formed by a complex system of codes - the 'Mamulengo language' - amidst the sociocultural context of Pernambuco from the late nineteenth century until the beginning of the twenty-first century. Mamulengo both informs and is shaped by the context of its production, expressed through both the texts (plots and linguistic style) and characters (general and specific typologies). This thesis demonstrates that the plots and characters reflect a society resulting from an intense process of miscegenation (of races and cultures), in which hierarchical divisions have been based on race, gender and class distinctions, and consequently, convey the prejudices, tensions and contradictions arising from these distinctions. Mamulengo to some degree encapsulates the diversity of the popular Northeastern traditions, which are the result o f centuries of social and cultural exchange between white, Indian and black populations. The puppet theatre, as part of this entire cultural context, is in permanent interchange with these traditional manifestations and thus, their strong influence on the constitution of Mamulengo can be observed. In examining the diverse sources that form the basis of this puppet theatre this thesis points to another possible approach to the history of Mamulengo. Firstly, it questions the hypothesis of the medieval crib as its primarily source by considering two aspects: the lack of precise evidence, and the similarities between Mamulengo and traditional European glove-puppetry. There is a striking correspondence between many Mamulengo scenes and those of traditional European puppetry; we have strong evidence of close contact, which probably occurred during the early years of Colonial Brazil. Secondly, this thesis demonstrates the close links between Mamulengo and some African puppetry traditions. Their connection is especially observed with regard to sexual content, which is expressed in the puppets' visual representations (exposure of genitals), movements (parodies of sexual intercourse) and in textual references; the presence of scenes depicting working activities and everyday life, mostly expressed by mechanical puppets; the significant number of rod puppets made entirely of wood, which, as far as research has shown, do not appear in puppet traditions other than Mamulengo and those in Africa; and finally, the function of the music. Through detailed examination of the figures present in the collections of Museu do Mamulengo (The Mamulengo Museum) and Museu do Homem do Nordeste (The Museum of the Man of the Northeast) and research done with three traditional Mamulengo puppeteers of Zona da Mata, Pernambuco (Zé de Vina, Zé Lopes and Joao Galego), this thesis demonstrates that Mamulengo puppet theatre is formed by a set of elements and governing rules, a complex system of signs that communicate and make audience responses possible. Through this analysis, this study describes a "grammar" for the production of the shows and therefore, reveals the knowledge that the master puppeteers (and other artists) bring to their practice (the "know-how" of their profession). This thesis also examines the outstanding role of improvisation in the construction of Mamulengo texts, which are expressed in the puppet's (or puppeteer's) and the intermediary's extensive use of word-play, and shows the connections with the carnivalesque genres. Finally, this thesis recognizes the fundamental role of literate audiences in the construction of the theatrical event. In such a context, individual audience members are acquainted with the diverse elements (auditory and visual) that shape this puppet theatre, and have already been initiated into the conventions of participation in the shows. Therefore, individuals feel free to participate actively in the ongoing performances and consequently, the Mamulengo show is the result of a co-creation process between puppeteers and their audiences. Where there is a high degree of homogeneity in the audience and between the audience and the artist in terms of social class, the puppeteers shape their performances according to clear-cut values and assumptions, expressing the ideas, events and points of view that integrate reality and the imagination of the group.