The XXIX Cultural Soiree took place last April 6th in the Aula Magna of the Rectory of the University of Lisbon. With a shared coordination between Francisco Ribeiro and Mafalda Fernandes, several were the moments that took place on stage under the motto "Between verses".

In a journey between the prologue, during 20 scenes and until the epilogue, there is a fair balance of a work that could sell out any box office.

In the impossibility of reporting exactly what art has given us, we describe this evening under two perspectives in two acts. Evidencing the numbers and data of this great production by our medical students.

Bravo!

Synopsis

In a world where Art has been forbidden (2062) and forgotten, the Portuguese population lives in a monotonous way, without colour or emotion, revolving around the entertainment provided by the screens. One day Rita comes across a trunk left outside her house, inside which she finds a diary. As she reads passages from the diary, she follows the story of Aurora's life, a young actress who witnessed the prohibition and the consequent oblivion of the Arts.

I Ato - In the eyes of a child

The long queue along the Rectory of Alameda Universitária allowed her to feel important among all those around her. She raised her head to foresee the next steps, but the more people who arrived, the more the euphoria narrowed in the immense curiosity of not knowing exactly what she was doing among so many happy adults.

Almost at the door of the Aula Magna, the parents were anxious to get into the performance hall, to see the main characters on stage, the medical students, the cast of excellence of another Cultural Soiree.

In the half hour that created the long waiting time in the cold April wind, some of the smiles of the cast peeked through doors and greeted those outside: friends from Medicine, family, other curious people and her attentive and lively gaze.

Rushing into the large hall of the Aula Magna, each group celebrated the meeting with other acquaintances and friends grouped together in whole rows. The light fell and the silence of the audience consented to the arrival of the artists.

XX Acts of a story told about inertia, apathy, acculturation of the masses and lack of freedom to think actively. This is how the audience and the little girl's eyes were touched, jumping between the auditorium steps and her mother's lap, to see further, higher, as the script asked.

Each scene a professional ballet, each message an interaction between actors, each scene an advance and retreat of human actions, each scene an action involved by the melody of people trained and prepared to sing and play, all packed by an orchestra of master students who could all be only professional musicians.

In the dark and at each finished Act the effusive ovation of a full Auditorium and the glow of her applause, eyes so open and the absence of being surrounded by so many other looks. In that gaze, still inexperienced to such skill and professionalism on stage, it was as if she had plunged into an imaginary world, with hand-drawn sceneries and real characters, but which one only watches from a distance on television.

XX Acts of a Part I of glory and artistic beauty, ending in a trilogy of incredible performances, of a critical and free cry, of singing actors, soulful artists, who lend themselves for brief moments to art as a second life option, while working and studying to be doctors.

Lights open and a short break presented as the end of the show, left her in tears because that's where she wanted to belong, because she felt the exact emotion they wanted to pass on.

Applause. To all of you, a standing ovation.

The mother of a little girl with the greatest look in her eyes.

 

II Ato - The surprise

I did not know what I would find on the stage of the Aula Magna of the Rectory. Since I have been working at the FMUL I had never attended a Cultural Soiree; the pandemic prevented the performances from taking place. But I had always heard a lot about this show, from the words of others who had already seen it and who told me everything with great enthusiasm. I was very curious, and my curiosity grew every time someone told me about this show, raising my expectations.

What did I know about the Cultural Soiree? Only that it was a show put on entirely by FMUL students and that it involved several performing arts: theatre, dance, and music. Students who are studying to be doctors, but with many other qualities hidden from the eyes of medicine. Besides the taste for medicine, many of them choose to remain connected to theatre, dance, or music to, in a certain way, unwind from the stress of studying and the exams.

The show began. As the acts were staged, expectations were exceeded, and words were scarce to evaluate so much quality in a single performance. The level of coordination between actors, dancers and musicians is fascinating. Everything is assembled to detail and each one knows what to do without hesitating in any step that has to be taken on stage.

The hall was full of friends, family, and people, like me, who became fans of this show. The stage of the Aula Magna once again brought together the FMUL medical students, but not only that, it brought together, above all, the talent of these students.

Acknowledgements for the accomplishment of:

- Organising Committee made up of 20 elements from the MIM and LCN courses of FMUL;

- 197 Artists: from both courses who were involved in the areas of theatre, dance, music, scenography, script writing and criticism, among other artistic aspects. 

- Various choreographers and stage directors;

- Choir and Medical Orchestra of Lisbon, as well as the Tuna Médica de Lisboa.

The backstage:

- The entire organising committee (20 people) had roles during the whole show, ensuring the smooth running of the backstage and doors, in setting up sound equipment and, finally, actively collaborating in the sound, light and streaming reggies.

The numbers: 

- more than 3,000 views on live streaming;

- 1059 spectators in person;

- €4152.60 raised for ANACED (National Association of Art and Creativity of and for People with Disabilities), in order to contribute to the improvement of infrastructures and services provided;

- 1 month of rehearsals;

 

Joana Sousa | Leonel Gomes
Editorial Team