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Interview with
Cesário Cruz Nunes
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"A
Puppeteer's Life 1946 - 1952" |
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Excerpts from an interview by school teacher Lúcia
Serralheiro and students from E.P. (primary school) Benedita in
the 23rd. March , 1990. |
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Cesário Cruz Nunes was born in Lisbon in December 18, 1925.
In 1946, aged twenty one and jobless, sees the "Robertos" show by
António Dias, already famous by then, in Feira da Ladra (traditional
outdoors flee market) in Lisbon, and thought: "that's something I might
be able to do well. But I was wrong!"
The first attempts to master the swizzle fail: «I would try
and try but nothing would come out... to talk well with the swizzle it
takes daily training.». |
The next step was building his own puppets: «All the puppets I ever
used were built by me, by my own hands. I like them all because they're
like sons to me».
Then he started working seriously, first, alone in
the streets of Lisbon or small town fairs. Later on he's invited by António
Dias to team up with him since two puppeteers would allow the
presentation of plays with more characters. |
Concerning the repertoire,
Cesário Nunes mentions: «the plays I represented already existed.
They're very old, from the times of my great-great-grandfather.
In those days there were much more puppeteers than today».
Cesário worked in Lisbon, the north coast up to Figueira da Foz and the
south coast down to the Algarve, in streets, fairs beaches and, in his
own words: «to associations who would work for children (charity)
like "A Colónia Balnear do Século".» |
In
1952 starts working for Lisbon's city hall,
and afterwards in Lisbon Civil Hospitals.
Around 1970
is working for Caldas da Rainha's city hall as a plumber, and
finally establishes as self-contractor in the same line of work.
Never stopped playing "Teatro Dom Roberto"
whenever asked, as far as records go, his last performance occurred in
November 23rd. 1990 in D. Afonso Henriques square in Alcobaça. The show
was integrated in the commemorations of the centennial of Alcobaça's
Hospital and he had been invited by Lúcia Serralheiro. |
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«Inside the
castle, working with the Robertos, I would laugh with them, I would see
that and would come to the point of laughing.
That comes out of me, and I look at it and think it's something else, it
is not me» |
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«A
working license was mandatory but even with the license working wasn't
easy ,(...) one day, in Évora, I noticed that people were gathering
around, people enough to block the street and gathering even before the
puppets appeared. I sounded the swizzle twice, a couple of words, and
there was a crowd there, so I put the puppets to work. Five minutes
later and I was surrounded by five or six policeman, and it seemed like
they were carrying a criminal. They took me to police headquarters and
the comment as I show the license is: "You can't work here. Only in the
outskirts of town."» |
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«Authorities
didn't want people to have any fun... in those days you couldn't speak
freely, you couldn't see any defects in government. We had to be all
sleepwalking, today we can speak freely. Back then, you couldn't
criticize members of the government.» |
«It's
necessary training, you must give life to a puppet, otherwise it's just
like it being there, resting on the table.
You need to look at it and see a living thing» |
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«Back then, in Lisbon,
there were five or six of us. António Dias
was very good with the swizzle, but not so good in giving life to the
puppets; the kid from Cascais, João, and Henrique, an old man. And there
was a woman who had puppets and a monkey. In Algés there was an old man
who only displayed the puppets, didn't talk with the swizzle, only
placed it between the lips, and worked only in Cruz Quebrada.» |
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All the puppet collection belonging to
Cesário Nunes was recently entrusted to S.A.Marionetas - Teatro &
Bonecos by teacher Lúcia Serralheiro.
Our grateful thanks to her! |
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