Acceso usuarios
Maria Alejandra Aguilar Dornelles
This essay examines the autobiographical narrative of Lucinda Simões (1850–1928), Memórias: factos e impressões (1922), to explore the configuration of scenarios of self-definition and empowerment in her process of becoming a transatlantic icon. Simões was a famous actress, theater director, and entrepreneur, who for more than 30 years traveled through Europe and Latin America staging controversial pieces, such as Le Demi-Monde, Teresa Raquin, and Casa da Boneca. Analyzing the development of an observant subjectivity linked to her constant movement in the pursuit of new and challenging repertoires, this essay points to the political value of itinerancy for women that aspired to assume active roles in culture and society. By representing herself as a lucid and powerful observer, Simões created a series of scenarios in which she appeared in full control of her experience, but also as a crucial actor in the transatlantic cultural scenery. Even transitory and unstable, these performances of empowerment, alongside her distinctive enunciation, raised questions regarding traditional gender roles and proposed new repertoires of professionalism and self-definition for women.
