In common language, when one wants to refer to great feats, it is customary to speak of odysseys and by them one understands unusual feats, often utopian. This challenge proposed by Teatro Nacional D. Maria II quotes the Greek epic poem, looking for the place of the ideal, but with its feet firmly on the ground or, better said, throughout the entire Portuguese territory.
During 2023, the Theater will disseminate its artistic activity, involving the populations, cultural agents and municipal administrations of more than 90 municipalities. Like the Homeric epic, this National Odyssey is also a return to the space where the public mission of D. Maria II always resided: the breadth of the national territory.
The programming of this odyssey seeks to exponentially democratize the theatrical offer, promoting local artistic creation, with intergenerational and inclusive projects, which reflect the country’s diversity, from regional scales. It also proposes to relate contemporary thought with local identities, bringing communities closer to new artistic languages.
In 2023, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II will be present in all regions of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira, with a program that includes hundreds of proposals grouped into five programs — Pieces (shows), Acts (participation projects), Fruits (activities for school audiences), Scenarios (thought events) and Nexus (training) — and an Exhibition.
An endeavor that, through theatre, aims to portray key dimensions of cultural activity in Portugal, creating an in-depth reflection on the different realities and promoting greater territorial cohesion with ballast for the years to come.