Ariano Suassuna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ariano Suassuna
|
|
|---|---|
Suassuna in 2003
|
|
| Born | 16 June 1927 Parahyba do Norte (modern-day João Pessoa), Paraíba, Brazil
|
| Died | 23 July 2014 (aged 87) Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
|
| Alma mater | Recife Law School |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse(s) | Zélia de Andrade Lima |
| Children | 6 |
| Parent(s) |
|
Ariano Vilar Suassuna (born June 16, 1927 – died July 23, 2014) was a famous Brazilian writer. He wrote many plays and books. He helped start the Movimento Armorial, which was a movement to celebrate Brazilian culture, especially from the Northeast. He also created the Student Theater at the Federal University of Pernambuco. Some of his plays were even made into movies. He was known as one of Brazil's best writers of his time. His stories often took place in the Northeast of Brazil. He even received a special award, an honorary doctorate, at a circus! Two of his most famous works are Auto da Compadecida and A Pedra do Reino. Ariano Suassuna strongly supported the culture of the Northeast, and his writings showed the region's popular traditions.
Biography
Ariano Vilar Suassuna was born on June 16, 1927. His birthplace was Nossa Senhora das Neves, which is now called João Pessoa, Paraíba. His parents were João Suassuna and Cassia Villar Suassuna. The next year, his family moved to a farm called Acauhan Farm.
In 1930, his father was sadly killed in Rio de Janeiro due to political reasons. After this, his family moved to Taperoá, Paraíba. Ariano lived there from 1933 to 1937. In Taperoá, he started school. He also saw mamulengos for the first time. These were puppet shows typical of the region. He also watched a "Viola Challenge," which was a musical contest. The way these shows used improvisation later became a big part of his plays.
From 1942, he lived in Recife. He finished high school there in 1945. The next year, he started studying law. While at law school, he met Hermilo Borba Filho. Together, they started the Student Theater of Pernambuco. In 1947, he wrote his first play, Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol. His play Cantam as Harpas de Sião was performed in 1948. Another play, Os Homens de Barro, was shown the following year.
In 1950, he finished law school. He won an award for his play Auto de João da Cruz. He had to move back to Taperoá to get better from a lung illness. While there, he wrote and put on the play Torturas de um Coração in 1951. In 1952, he moved back to Recife. Until 1956, he worked as a lawyer. But he never stopped writing plays. During this time, his plays O Castigo da Soberba (1953), O Rico Avarento (1954), and O Auto da Compadecida (1955) were performed. O Auto da Compadecida became very popular.
In 1956, he stopped being a lawyer. He became a professor of Aesthetics at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). The next year, his play O Casamento Suspeitoso was performed in São Paulo. In 1958, O Santo e a Porca was staged. In 1959, his play O Homem da Vaca e o Poder da Fortuna was performed. Later, A Pena e a Lei won an award at a theater festival.
In 1959, he and Hermilo Borba Filho started the Teatro Popular do Nordeste. This group put on A Farsa da Boa Preguiça (1960) and A Caseira e a Catarina (1962). In the early 1960s, he paused his successful career as a playwright. He focused on teaching Aesthetics at UFPE. He retired as a professor in 1994.
Ariano Suassuna was a founding member of the Federal Council of Culture in 1967. He also became the director of the Cultural Extension Department of UFPE in 1969. He was deeply involved in culture. In 1970, he started the "Armorial Movement" in Recife. This movement wanted to develop and understand traditional popular art forms. He invited famous classical musicians to join. The movement officially began on October 18, 1970. It started with a concert and an art exhibition. He also served as the Secretary of Culture for the State of Pernambuco from 1994 to 1998.
Between 1958 and 1979, he also wrote novels. He published Romance d'A Pedra do Reino e o Príncipe do Sangue do Vai-e-Volta (1971). He also wrote História d'O Rei Degolado nas Caatingas do Sertão / Ao Sol da Onça Caetana (1976). He called these books "armorial-popular Brazilian novels."
The music group Armorial Quintet was started in 1970.
Ariano Suassuna built an outdoor sanctuary in São José do Belmonte (PE). This place was inspired by his novel Romance d'A Pedra do Reino. It has 16 stone sculptures, each 3.50 meters tall. They are arranged in a circle. The first three sculptures are of Jesus Christ, Our Lady, and St. Joseph.
He was a member of the Paraíba State Academy of Arts. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in 2000.
In 2002, Ariano Suassuna's life story was featured in the carnival. In 2008, it was again the subject of a carnival parade in São Paulo. In 2004, a documentary about him was made. It was called The Hinterland: World of Ariano Suassuna. In 2006, he received another honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Ceará. He finally received it on June 10, 2010, just before his 83rd birthday. He said there were "scheduling problems" for the delay.
On July 21, 2014, he had a stroke. He was in a coma in the hospital and passed away on July 23 from heart failure.
Conversion to Roman Catholicism
Ariano Suassuna was born into a Protestant family. He later became agnostic, meaning he wasn't sure if God existed. In 1958, he converted to Roman Catholicism.
Plays
- O Auto da Compadecida (1955)
- O Castigo da Soberba (1960)
- O Casamento Suspeitoso (1961)
- A Caseira e a Catarina (1962)
- Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol (1964)
- O Rico Avarento (1964)
- O Santo e a Porca (1964)
- Pena e a Lei (1974)
- A Farsa da Boa Preguiça (1982)
Novels
- A Pedra do Reino e o Príncipe do Sangue do Vai-e-Volta, (1971).
- História d'O Rei Degolado nas caatingas do sertão: ao sol da Onça Caetana, (1977).
See also
In Spanish: Ariano Suassuna para niños
