RIR PRA NÃO CHORAR :: LAUGH SO YOU DON’T CRY

Comedy in the circus of late capitalism

Quoting the composer Candeia in his song “Preciso Me Encontrar”, LAUGH SO YOU DON’T CRY is a lecture-performance, workshop, and open mic by Naya de Souza that explores comedy as a language, medium, and technology for navigating the spectacle or “circus” of late capitalism. Acknowledging the present dystopia, Naya argues that nothing reveals truth more clearly than genuine laughter, as it exposes who we truly are. Within socio-political and art contexts, comedy becomes a tool of ontological disruption, dividing the room in ways that make it impossible for viewers to hide their own prejudices and biases. 

For Naya, comedy is a language of power, and stand-up carries heritage from popular entertainment traditions of the late 19th century such as vaudeville, stump-speech monologues from minstrel shows, dime museums, concert saloons, freak shows, variety and medicine shows, American burlesque, English music halls, circus clown antics, Chautauqua gatherings, and humorist monologues – that were originally used to ridicule Black, Indigenous, Disabled, and LGBTIQ+ people. 

Pulling a long cable of history, that when plugged to a microphone held by someone whose mere existence has historically been the punchline of the joke, comedy shifts the power dynamics making the oppressed experience joy and euphoria, while the oppressor experiences confusion and discomfort, disclosing an inability of being addressed as a group, as a stereotype or as a problem.

Since a full belly laughs deeper, Naya and Lynhan from the SAVVY team will prepare a delicious meal for us to share and enjoy. 

NAYA DE SOUZA  was born in 1991 in the Caatinga region of Brazil. Her work under alter-egos like "LUX VENÉREA" and "@Bundaskanzlerin" transitions between performance art, comedy/stand-up, and cooking. Based in Berlin since 2016, Naya has won over the cultural scene with her multimedia cabaret performances and politically charged stand-up.

Her work has been showcased at cultural venues like Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Hebbel Am Ufer, Kampnagel, Martin Gropius Bau, Gorki Theater, Kammerspiele Munich, Belvedere Theater Vienna, CCBA Barcelona, Deichtorhallen Hamburg and WORM Rotterdam, among others.

She has also been featured in renowned festivals such as Primavera Sound PRO, Berlin Art Week, and WienWoche. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the TAG DER CLUBKULTUR Prize in 2023 and was a finalist nominee for the Berlin Art Prize in 2022.