Since it's first week of opening The Mistress of History (A Dona da Historia), a comedy by Joao Falcao, which explores the tricks of nature on destiny, has been attracting great audiences to the Leblon Theatre, Fernanda Montenegro Room in Rio de Janeiro. It opened April 7 and runs through July 15,1998.

Directed by Guel Arraes, the comedy is a result of the pitfalls of destiny. A woman in her early fifties decides to do a retrospective on her life, analyzing what went right or wrong between ages of twenty and fifty. At twenty, the characther observes her options, and the road she must follow. At fifty, she dialogues with her past trying to discover if her life could have been different.

Famous Brazilian TV and Theatre actresses Marieta Severo and Andrea Beltrao represent the same character at different ages. The former acts the part of the fifty year old, and the latter twenty.

"There really are mysterious things in our lives. I think life is made by a whirl of facts that are not determined by us," says actress Marieta Severo, "I´m sure that the tricks of life take us exactly where we have to go. The small decisions that we make at each moment, always take us to something that was already pre-destined"... I do believe in destiny"..... admits the actress.

"The play reaches it's climax when the two different moments of the character´s life are exhibited on stage simultaneously. This is not a flash-back," explains director Arraes. The work of Costume Designer Emilia Duncan is also featured, which creates an impressive visual effect, transforming the actresses to appear extremely similar.

Performances are from Thursday to Saturday - 9PM and Sunday - 7PM. For Tickets (R$20,00-R$25,00) and Information call 021 294 0347 at Leblon Theatre - Rio de Janeiro.

--By Nertutila Achao

Brazil Correspondent