Actress Julia Iorio, alongside her friends Isabel Castello Branco and Luiza Lewicki, revives an exciting chapter of national theater with the new production of “A.MI.GAS”, based on the text by her father, Duda Ribeiro. Originally produced in 1999 and inspired by the book of the same name by Claudia Mello, the show explores the complex dynamics of three friends and their romantic and personal challenges. To intensify the scenic experience, actor Bernardo Coimbra stands out playing 20 different roles.
Julia’s love for the show dates back to her childhood, when she incessantly watched the VHS tape of the play at home. The idea of restaging the work came up in 2019 after a meeting with director Ernesto Piccolo, who worked on the original production and now directs this version with a personal touch. The production also counts on the collaboration of Joana Motta, a long-time friend of the Iorio family, who helped to materialize the project in honor of Duda, who passed away in 2016.
At 24 years old and with a career already marked by significant experiences, Julia Iorio has a degree in performing arts from Casa de Artes de Laranjeiras (CAL). In addition to her theater work, she has gained popularity as a content creator on social media, with comedy videos that have attracted more than 300,000 followers. Recently, her creation of a fun video applying to be a “lunchbox” for Paolla Oliveira and Diogo Nogueira caught the attention of the media and consolidated her online presence.
Julia, what motivated you to adapt your father’s text for the show A.MI.GAS alongside Isabel Castello Branco and Luiza Lewicki?
Since I was little, I loved this text. I had the VHS tape of the show and always watched it. It would crash before it ended, so I never saw the end. Inside me, I always wanted to put on the show, but I didn’t even know where to start. Last year, I met Neco (Ernesto Piccolo) at Tablado and he, out of the blue, without knowing my wishes, told me “You have to form FRIENDS”! There, a light turned on. I had already shared this desire with Luiza, I said that I had a text from my father that was really cool. After this story with Neco, I had confirmation: I was going to put on the show. Luiza had been part of the project since day 1 and we called Bel, who immediately agreed.
What was the experience like watching the VHS tape of the play as a child and never being able to see the ending? Did that influence your decision to put on the show?
That’s funny, I had never stopped to think about that. It was really frustrating not knowing the ending. It always aroused my curiosity, of course. I don’t know if it influenced it consciously, but it left a flea behind the ear, oh it did!
Was being able to work with director Ernesto Piccolo, who worked on the first production, significant for you? How was this partnership?
Wow, too much! This partnership is incredible!! Neco encouraged me to put on the show, and having him as director is a dream! The guy is too angry!!!! I had never worked with Neco before and I’m sure this will be the first of many partnerships. In addition to having done the show before, he was my father’s friend, so having him on the team is very special.
Actor Bernardo Coimbra plays 20 roles in the show. How did you work together to develop these diverse characters?
We create a lot together, everyone on the team. As Neco has already created these characters, he exchanges a lot with Bê, giving directions, but always letting Bê create based on these directions. Each actor brings their own way to the characters and Bê is no different. Came in to add, for sure.
What was your training like at the O Tablado theater and at Casa de Artes de Laranjeiras (CAL)? How did these studies contribute to your career?
Tablado gave me the foundation. Fact. I take the teachings from improvisation classes wherever I go, beyond the artistic world, into life. CAL solidified, in addition to being the place where I met the girls, it created this lifelong partner. I still have a lot to learn, and I will be an eternal student of art, but everything I know to date, I owe a lot to these places.
You have already attracted attention in the media with humorous videos on the internet. What is it like balancing your acting career with producing online content?
Reconciling is easy. As I work with my cell phone, it’s pretty good. And I think one thing leads to the other. I think the internet is a cool place to make myself seen and thus, who knows, generate work. Besides, I really enjoy making my videos and I love being able to work with comedy all the time.
You mentioned liking the closeness that social media provides between you and your audience. How does this interaction influence your artistic work?
I’ve always really enjoyed observing others, social behaviors, conventions that we were born with. And this is all material when it comes to, for example, rewriting the text of the show. The people who follow me always give me ideas for new videos and tell me about past stories. Everything is stored in my mental hard drive and is very rich for creating stories and characters.
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