[...] From a dramaturgical point of view, his experience of "dependence"—which, from the outset, has a largely autobiographical dimension—transcends the confessional nature of the discourse [...]. Liberano's qualities as a performer must be noted. He possesses remarkable technical mastery of acting, and his self-character has the ability to place the audience in a state of strong empathy—an almost violent empathy. Despite its evident contemporary feel, the performance moves us somewhat like a melodrama: suffering is portrayed as a way of awakening an experience of humanity in the audience.
José Capela , co-artistic director of mala voadora
It was a surprise that affected me in many ways and addressed many issues I was experiencing at the time. It was especially important to have the opportunity to see Diogo on stage, artistically releasing his past, and the result of this experience was better days with my own issues that I thought were insurmountable. Truly, theater can provide outcomes that are unfeasible in life. Thank you so much for this.
Raykar Rocha , actor
My mother discovered it when she was 40. She never managed to live well with her illness. [...] I saw your play last Saturday. [...] I had no idea how difficult it is! After your play, I apologized to her in prayer. [...] Your work was beautiful. It was moving. It was light. It was funny. It was human. It was enlightening. It was a gift to me. Thank you, Diogo.
Tiago Colognese , software consultant
I loved it. It's been a long time since I've seen a show like this, one that captivated me from start to finish, both for the well-written, poetic, and powerful script, and for the brilliant performance. The music and scenery were in perfect harmony. Congratulations and best wishes.
Maria Irene Rodrigues , clinical analysis technician
A very impactful and emotional performance. It raises awareness of the topic, enriching the viewer.
Nuno Flores , architect
Have you watched DdD-V2?
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An investigation into diabetes, sugar and love
In this second version of the Declaration of Dependence project, playwright and performer Diogo Liberano addresses the relationships between diabetes mellitus, sugar and love, combining personal narratives and new forms of stage writing to question the cultural impact of the phrase “diabetics cannot eat sugar”.
A diabetic since he was six, the artist revisits stories lived from 1993 to the present day, proposing that we review certainties that, often already dead, continue to guide our relationships. On stage, the playwright investigates three distinct modes of writing:
1) writing in motion , done through physical actions, gestures and movements;
2) reading writing , done through reading stories previously written by the playwright; and
3) live writing , done through movement and textual compositions that are created in an unprecedented way and in relation to the audience each night.
Declaration of Dependency – Version 2 was co-produced by the Douro Artists Creation Grant, awarded by mala voadora, with funding from Porto City Council, and with the support of institutions such as CAMPUS Paulo Cunha e Silva, MEXE Associação Cultural and Sporting Club de São Vitor.
Video recording of Liberano at the end of the fifteenth rehearsal, on Friday, August 23, 2024, at CAMPUS Paulo Cunha e Silva.
Photographs by Miguel F.
Creative team
Dramaturgy and performance Diogo Liberano
Dramaturgy Gustavo Colombini
Visual concept by Jérémy Tomczak
Lighting design by Tomás Ribas
Musical direction and original music by Rodrigo Marçal
Movement orientation Mayara Máximo
Audio participation Lucilia Liberano
Cenotecnia Ricardo Rabelo
Production direction Marcello Mucida
Realization Platô – Research and Production
Residency Zero (participants) Ana Luiza Rigueto , Andressa Hazboun and Jessica Di Chiara
"[...] something is being transformed right now."
The project began in July 2024 with Residence Zero, bringing together the creative team and participants Ana Luiza Rigueto, Andressa Hazboun and Jessica Di Chiara. In five online meetings, fundamental questions were raised to start the work.
In August, Liberano began creating the dramaturgy, physically and textually [see filmed recording above], opening up new relationships between imaginations, memories and the actual dimension of the rehearsal room. In September, at Residence One, together with the artists of the team, Gustavo Colombini, Rodrigo Marçal, Jérémy Tomczak and Maria Carvalho Vasquez, Liberano presented a first draft of the performance, from which new searches and challenges were outlined.
From October to December, with the whole team in action, this time in the company of Mayara Máximo and Tomás Ribas, the performance found its primordial gesture: a poetic operation that removes the protagonism of trauma, offering life new arrangements, discourses and sensations.
As one of the passages in the dramaturgy states:
[...] in the terrain of my memory, an irregular moon, unconscious events condition a type of life, of man, a kind of.
Only now something is changing.
[...] to make a lotus flower out of mud, you have to imagine well; imagine more, imagine better: a closure-man, a kind of closure-man.
DdD-V2 premiered at mala voadora (Porto, Portugal) from 12 to 15 December 2024 and remains unreleased elsewhere.
Learn more about the project