Following the Path of an Ingenious Impresario in 18th Century Lisbon

Abstract

Paulino José da Silva was one of the most prolific impresarios in 18^th century Lisbon, although part of his activity remains obscure. In the 1770s he was associated with small playhouses, namely, the Belém Theatre, where he established a comedy company in 1775; and the Graça Theatre, joining forces with its owners to run the performances from 1776 onwards, presenting mainly «presépios» and marionette theatre. In the 1780s, he was the director and impresario of two of the most important venues, the Rua dos Condes Theatre and the Salitre Theatre; he even envisaged building a third playhouse. His influential position as impresario of the Rua dos Condes Theatre was evident when he very proficiently opposed the royal obstructions to the regular running of performances, which eventually led him to draw up the first statute (as far as we know) of a private theatre in Lisbon. By the end of the 1780s, the experience he gained running the Rua dos Condes Theatre allowed him to launch significant initiatives at the Salitre Theatre, which would last through the early 1790s, presenting a sophisticated repertoire of comedies, dances, and operas. Paulino José da Silva’s innovations as an impresario and his deep knowledge of the milieu are visible in his renting out of venues and their adjoining spaces, such as taverns; his entrepreneurial initiative to build sets and costumes for his own use or for hire; his different models for contracting artists both in Portugal and abroad, and particularly in Italy; and the establishment of partnerships with theatre owners, other businessmen and artists. The profile of this impresario helps to fill in gaps that can still be detected in the history of performances in Portugal and the circulation of Italian artists hired to perform in Portuguese theatres.