Crocodile Club

STAGED READING OF

“THE CROCODILE CLUB” and an Excerpt from “PROMISED VALLEY CONFERENCE CENTER”

By Mickaël de Oliveira

Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova

Saturday, Oct 4, 2 PM

Cast: Danilo Gambini, Alina Collins Maldonado, Victor Salinas, Ellen Schiavone

For the first time in its history, Spooky Action will host Portuguese theater company Colectivo 84, a premiere incubator and producer of original plays that explore the challenges of dramaturgy and the visuality of the stage through transdisciplinary and intermedial approaches. The evening will include a staged reading of the first play and an excerpt from the second play in Mickaël de Oliveira’s trilogy Pequenos Males (Small Evils). 

THE TRILOGY:

In medicine, the term Petit Mal refers to a minor form of epilepsy characterized by brief lapses of consciousness, often subtle enough to go unnoticed by observers. The Small Evils Trilogy examines the contemporary nature of "evil" and its representations across three dimensions: political (“Crocodile Club”), religious and pedagogical (“Promised Valley – Conference Center), and artistic (“Adaptação”). The trilogy not only revolves around these themes but also employs a shared intermediality, rooted in the interplay between theatre and cinema, with cinematic montage serving as a central device for crafting stage narratives. 

THE PLAY: 

A tragicomic exploration of Portugal's evolving political landscape, mirroring a global trend of rising far-right ideologies and new populisms that seek to exploit dissatisfaction and stoke fear. "Crocodile Club" examines the fragility and boundaries of democracy through the lens of a weekend retreat among friends. The play draws upon imagery and conventions rooted in the tradition of horror cinema.

Content Warning: death, cannibalism, expression of alt-right sentiment, strong language

THE COMPANY: Colectivo 84 (founded in 2009) is a Portuguese organization dedicated to the creation and programming of performing arts. It is led by John Romão and Mickaël de Oliveira and has been supported by the Directorate-General for the Arts (Ministry of Culture) since 2010. The collective develops projects throughout Portugal, with a particular focus on the Central Region, where it integrates its artistic programs across various districts. Colectivo 84’s productions are defined by a commitment to original playwriting and exploring

the challenges of dramaturgy and the visuality of the stage through transdisciplinary and intermedial approaches. Its programming includes the biennial Festival END (Encounters in Contemporary Playwriting), which celebrates the practices of writing and dramaturgy, as well as training and artistic mediation programs like From Here On Out (Daqui para a Frente) and School of the Emancipated Spectator (Escola do Espectador Emancipado), in partnership with the National Arts Plan. Notable productions include Mickaël de Oliveira's works such as Crocodile Club (Crocodile Club, 2024/25), Wild Life Episodes (Episódios da Vida Selvagem, 2022/23), 15th Birthday Party (Festa de 15 Anos, 2019), The Constitution (A Constituição, 2016), and Socrates Must Die (Sócrates Tem de Morrer, 2017–18). Other highlights include Current (Corrente, 2023), Romeo and Juliet (Romeu e Julieta, 2020) by W. Shakespeare, Pigsty (Pocilga, 2015), and Theorem (Teorema, 2014) by Pier Paolo Pasolini, directed by John Romão. The company’s productions and programs have been created in partnership with leading cultural institutions, including Centro Cultural Vila Flor (Guimarães), Cineteatro Louletano (Loulé), Culturgest (Lisbon), São Luiz Teatro Municipal (Lisbon), Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente (Coimbra), Teatro Aveirense (Aveiro), Teatro Municipal do Porto (Porto), Teatro Nacional D. Maria II (Lisbon), Teatro Nacional São João (Porto), Teatro Oficina (Guimarães), Teatro Viriato (Viseu), Teatro Virgínia (Torres Novas), among others. Colectivo 84 operates as a performing arts organization (Theatre) with Sustained Support from the Directorate-General for the Arts (2023–2026).