He is all over the place, from owning and directing his own Theater Company to staging in several places and still making time to study for school.
Name: Luiz Teixeira Hirschmann Filho
Age: 21
Year: 2017
Major: Radio, TV and Internet
Hometown: São Paulo
Sign: Gemini
Sexual preference: Girls
Status: Single
Interests: Writing, reading and swimming.
Why Cásper?
Because I studied Engineering and didn’t like it.
Really, where?
I studied at UFABC and my major was Production Engineering.
And Theater?
I study theater for over 6 years now and it started when I played Water Polo. Everytime I was playing there was a song and that disturbed me quite a bit, so one day I went there to complain and it was a theater group. I ended up staying with the theater group, but quitting Polo.
But when did you find out you loved theater?
I watched The Phantom of the Opera when I was four with my parents. There is a huge chandelier that fell from the celling and broke. I don’t know, that enchanted me so much. That’s where I knew I liked it. But that I wanted to pursue theater was when I quit Engineering.
Where did you start?
I started at Companhia dos Menestreis at Clube Paulista and then I went to another company, where I studied Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. I got in and a group of actors were leaving so there was not much people to act in the play we supposed to. That is when I wrote my first play: O Buraco (The Hole). It was about seven people, related to the seven deadly sins, and they wake up in a house and don’t know where they are, but instead of trying to find a way out, they care more about seducing each other.
After that I went to Wolf Maia Acting School, which was sort of insane, because I was doing Engineering, amateur theater and Polo. It was also a great moment, because I got into college without any extra preparation.
And your play “Falemos de Nós” (Talk about us)?
We stayed for two months and a half in season and now there is “Entre Nós” (Between Us). We also have a project to do a rereading of Vidas Secas (classic novel “Dried Lives” from author Graciliano Ramos) and take songs from “Racionais” and put it into play and present to more humble communities.
You have your own Theater Company, is that correct?
Yep. My theater company, Brodinhos. It comes from something Beto, Thiago and I have, which is the delicacy and commitment to do things in a way that is well made. We wanted to make a company, but we had no money. After a few months, I got the chance to work in scene direction of King Lear with Juca de Oliveira. Then I got enough money to invest and start our enterprise.
Why Radio and Televison after quitting Engineering?
Because I wanted to understand the technical part of it. I wouldn’t do Performing Arts, cuz’ I feel I can teach myself and do parallel courses to improve in it. But knowing how to hold a camera, lightning, edition, those were different things. Also, there is a great number of Humanities related courses at Cásper.
And basically, how can you do everything and manage to study for Cásper?
I use all days in the week. I have no free time.
Mondays: I study at Cásper by morning, then I have Brodinhos’ meeting at noon and I rehearse for the play “O Tambor e o Anjo” by André Garoli.
Tuesday: Morning at Cásper, rehearse with Garoli’s people and Brodinhos’ meeting again.
Wednesday: Cásper and I get a free time to study for Cásper and read plays or rehearse. I just see what is my priority for the moment.
Thursday: Cásper until 10 am and then I go to a Tennessee Williams study group. I come back to Cásper at 7 pm so I can watch the class I missed in the morning. After that, I either rehearse or study.
Friday: Cásper, Garoli’s rehearsal and at night Grapetes’ rehearse.
Saturday: I help my father with his shoppings and then I go to Grapetes. In the afternoon I do a few readings and at night Brodinhos again.
Sunday: Garoli’s rehearsal and Brodinhos’ meetings.
In other words, you don’t sleep.
Sort of. I get a huge amount of two hours at night.