Miguel de Senna Fernandes, a Macanese playwright and the director of the local patuá-language theatre group Doci Papiaçám di Macau, told Macao News yesterday that the group had been approached by culture officials seeking a copy of the script of its upcoming performance at the 34th Macao Arts Festival, which is set to take place in May.
Doci Papiaçám di Macau’s plays are known for their satirical content. The author said he was nonetheless surprised by the unprecedented request from the Cultural Affairs Bureau (known by its Portuguese acronym IC), pointing out that shows by Doci Papiaçám di Macau have been a part of the Macao Arts Festival since 1997.
“When IC starts pressuring us into submitting the scripts, things get slightly uncomfortable,” Senna Fernandes told Macao News. “What happens if we submit a script and later on change it? Will that be an issue? And if that won’t be an issue, then why do we have to submit a script in the first place?”
In response to an email from Macao News, IC stated that the objective of reviewing scripts is to “gain control over the content in order to present high-quality artistic works to the general public, guided by the principle of mutual respect for creators and producers.”
The IC’s request for an advance copy of Doci Papiaçám di Macau’s script appears to be part of a general scrutiny of content for the upcoming festival.
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Local media outlet All About Macau reported that several shows proposed for last year’s Macao Arts Festival were rejected during final evaluations for content deemed unacceptable by the IC.
The Doci Papiaçám di Macau controversy also comes in the wake of the cancellation of the drag show Made by Beauty in January – a performance that was to have been part of the Fringe Festival. The show was abruptly shut down after a single performance, despite being scheduled for a three-night run, after a publicity stunt featuring a scantily-clad performer drew public complaints.
At the moment, Senna Fernandes says he cannot comply with the IC’s request, as the script was a work in progress. “Our plays revolve around current events in the community, subjects deemed the talk of the town, therefore there’s only so much I can write in advance,” he told Macao News.
He made it clear that the group was mindful of the limits of humour and local sensibilities, but added: “There seems to be a lack of clarity regarding the recently implemented criteria by the IC.”
Last year, dozens of creatives in Macao sought a meeting with the Cultural Development Fund to “better understand the fund’s concerns over ‘inappropriate content,’ and to explore how to protect members of the audience while maintaining creative freedom.”
