A 1926 All-Black Theater Troupe Returns to the Stage in Rio

Rio de Janeiro · Theater

Key Facts

— CCBB Rio revives the Companhia Negra de Revistas, Brazil’s first all-Black theater company, founded in 1926.

— The new production, “Tudo Preto: Uma Re_Vista,” runs from July 31 to September 13 at Teatro I.

— It reworks “Tudo Preto,” the 1926 revue written and directed by the artist De Chocolat.

— Direction and dramaturgy are by Mauricio Lima and Tainah Longras, with music direction by Muato.

— The show marks the company’s centenary and its place in Brazil’s cultural history.

One hundred years after it broke ground on the Brazilian stage, the Companhia Negra de Revistas is returning to Rio de Janeiro, as the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB Rio) revives the legacy of the country’s first all-Black theater company in a new production opening July 31.

The show, “Tudo Preto: Uma Re_Vista,” runs at the CCBB’s Teatro I until September 13. It reaches back to 1926 and one of the most important, and long overlooked, chapters in Brazilian theater.

For foreign residents curious about Brazil beyond Carnival and the beach, it is a chance to see how the country is reckoning with the history of Black artists who shaped its culture but were often written out of it.

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Who were the Companhia Negra de Revistas?

Founded in 1926, the Companhia Negra de Revistas was the first Brazilian theater company formed entirely by Black artists. Its founding show, “Tudo Preto” (“All Black”), was written and directed by the performer known as De Chocolat, and it put Black performers, music and stories at the center of the popular “revue” theater of the day, a bold move in the Brazil of the 1920s.

A century later, the company is remembered as a milestone in the fight for Black representation on the Brazilian stage. Reviving it now, in a major public cultural center, is a deliberate act of recovering that memory for a wide audience.

What the new production does

“Tudo Preto: Uma Re_Vista” does not simply restage the original. It updates the text and widens the conversation about identity, memory and the role of Black Brazilians in building the country’s culture.

In other words, it uses a 1926 show to ask questions that still matter in 2026.

The production is directed and dramaturgically developed by Mauricio Lima and Tainah Longras, with dramaturgical input from Pedro Emanuel and musical direction by Muato. The cast includes Afroflor, Beá Ayóòla, Juliane Cruz, Lucas Sampaio, Lux Nègre and Nely Coelho.

Why it matters

Bringing the Companhia Negra back to a flagship venue like the CCBB signals how central Black history has become to Brazil’s cultural conversation. It is also part of a broader moment: from funk to museum retrospectives, Brazilian institutions are increasingly foregrounding the Black artists who shaped the national culture.

A show that began as a daring experiment in 1926 now stands as heritage worth celebrating.

How to go

The production plays at the CCBB Rio’s Teatro I from July 31 through September 13. As with most CCBB programming, tickets tend to be low-cost and popular, so booking in advance through the center’s official channels is the safest way to get a seat.

What was the Companhia Negra de Revistas?

Founded in 1926, the Companhia Negra de Revistas was the first Brazilian theater company made up entirely of Black artists. Its debut show, “Tudo Preto,” was written and directed by De Chocolat and became a landmark in Black representation on the Brazilian stage.

Where and when can I see the new show?

“Tudo Preto: Uma Re_Vista” runs at the CCBB Rio’s Teatro I from July 31 to September 13, 2026. Tickets are available through the CCBB’s official channels.

Who created the production?

It is directed and dramaturgically developed by Mauricio Lima and Tainah Longras, with dramaturgical input from Pedro Emanuel and musical direction by Muato, performed by a cast of Black Brazilian artists.