Brazilian director and actor Aderbal Freire Filho unites two South American cultures in a bilingual play of fantastic realism, Sambudo, The Comedy. Opening February 1,1998 at The Ziembinski Theatre in Rio de Janeiro, the play stars the prize-winning Uruguayan comedy actress Gloria Demassi, and runs to the end of February. After this short season, it is scheduled to re-open on March 1,1998 in Montevideo.

This romantic comedy is set at a strategical point on the border between Brazil and Uruguay, and tells the story of an ex-soccer player and his wife, a local religious leader. The couple decide to proclaim the independence of their piece of land and are soon joined by thousand of disillusioned people who believe in their optimistic ideals.

Aderbal Freire Filho, who has been living and working in Uruguay for 15 years, created The Small Latin American Theatre Company (A Pequena Companhia Latino Americana de Teatro), which is composed of Brazilian and Uruguayan actors and directors. The SLACT is dedicated to itinerant and bilingual productions.

The friendship between the Brazilian director and the Uruguayan "Diva of Theatre" Gloria Demassi began in 1984, when he directed her in Mann Mnouchkinne´s Mephisto in Montevideo. "I know that the difficulty with the language is great, but like in Sambudo, The Comedy all SLACT´s productions will have a Portuguese and a Spanish version" explains the director.

Further information about cast, performances and ticket prices will be announced soon. -- By Nertutila Achao

Brazil Correspondent