CONTEMPORARY DRAMATIC LITERATURE IN FOCUS: THE STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE DRAMATURGY OF BRAZILIAN PLAYWRIGHT SILVIA GOMEZ

It is known in the literary field that the concept stream of consciousness has been studied in literature since the 20th century. However, there remains a gap to be filled regarding dramatic literature as a context for investigating this concept, particularly in contemporary dramatic literature, a fact that motivated the development of this study. Thus, the aim of this essay is to contribute to the expansion of studies on the stream of consciousness in contemporary dramatic literature by introducing another perspective for understanding this concept within dramatic texts: the subtext. To achieve the proposed objective, I begin with a theoretical investigation through a bibliographic review of the concept of the stream of consciousnessin psychology, -where it was originated-literature, -previously seen as the only form of applying the stream of consciousness-and, finally, theater-which historically bore the stigma of being unable to use this concept due to its reliance on speech to express thoughts. This review seeks to understand what has already been studied on the subject. Subsequently, I propose a new perspective on the stream of consciousness as a mediator of the subtext, the essence of the character, to be performed by the actor or actress through a deep exploration of the psychological content of the dramatic text. I demonstrate this connection between subtext and stream of consciousness in the works of contemporary Brazilian playwright Silvia Gomez. Considering that the free association of ideas and the fluidity of thoughts are integrated into the creation of a powerful material for the psychological construction of characters-evidenced in the movements and gestures of the actors performing them-the stream of consciousness maintains its primary purpose, the revelation of the inner self. This is because theater encompasses the visual, auditory, and sensory aspects of the scene, alongside speech, and can therefore communicate beyond words.