From Rio de Janeiro to NYC & Harvard, Gustavo Pace's 'Naked Brazilian'
The hilarious & heartwarming solo show Naked Brazilian, which tells the story of a young man's journey from Rio de Janeiro to New York City (and Harvard University) in pursuit of his dream, performed at FringeNYC at 64E4 Mainstage. Written & performed by Gustavo Pace, recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship for Theater/Acting & a MFA in Acting from Harvard University, the show is directed by Stephen Brown-Fried (Awake and Sing! at The Public Theatre and recipient of the Obie Award for Best Leading Performance), the play was developed with Emmy Award-winning writer and teacher Matt Hoverman and also with Lou Liberatore (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Award nominee for Burn This).
In Naked Brazilian solo performer Gustavo Pace takes the audience on a hilarious and heart-warming trip to the land of Carnaval, caipirinhas, Carmen Miranda & the last Olympics -- a place where men aspire to be macho, and where a boy who wants nothing more than to entertain others finds it impossible to fit in. Along the way, this boy meets a series of colorful characters including a sex therapist, a homicidal New York landlord, and even his own father as he faces many obstacles including sleeping in Central Park while struggling to find a home, almost dying by drug dealers in Rio, having to visit dangerous prisons in Rio & living with an alcoholic father.
Gustavo Pace graduated with MFA in Acting from Harvard University’s professional acting program at the American Repertory Theater. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for Theater/Acting. Previously, he attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. He graduated in Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio).
He received the Brazilian International Press Award in 2013 for his achievement in Theater in the United States and in 2015 the Portuguese-Brazilian Award at Lincoln Center for Achievement in Theater, Film and Television. In 2014 he appeared in "The Idiot", at the Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of Marina Brusnikina and as Ivanov in an adaptation of "Ivanov and Uncle Vanya" entitled "By Chekhov" directed by Igor Zolotovitsky, which was part of a play festival held at Melikhovo, in the house that Chekhov wrote many of his most famous plays. He appeared in Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About Nothing", directed by Anya Saffir at the American Repertory Theater and recently performed his solo show "Discovery" at the Abingdon Theatre, as part of an All for One Theater Production. His last appearance in New York City was in the Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About Nothing" in the Riverside Park
Visit: www.gustavopace.com
Stephen Brown-Fried directed the recent National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) production of Awakenand Sing! at The Public Theatre, which won an Obie for best-leading performance (Mia Katigbak) and was nominated for a Drama League Award.
He also directed at theaters and training programs across the country including The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Working Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and was a 2008 Sundance Theatre Fellow.
He is also Head of Directing at The New School College of Performing Arts, and a Lecturer in Directing at The Yale School of Drama.
Visit: www.stephenbrownfried.com
Naked Brazilian was originally developed in the GO-SOLO Workshops with Matt Hoverman & Co.
Matt Hoverman is an Emmy Award-winning TV writer, playwright and teacher. As a teacher, he founded the GO-SOLO workshop, in which he midwived hundreds of solo shows, including winners of the 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012 & 2013 FringeNYC Best Solo Show Awards. As a TV writer, he has written for Arthur (2014 Emmy for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program and 2016 Humanitas Prize for Children’s Animation), Sofia the First (2016 Television Critics Association nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Television), Goldie & Bear and Curious George. As a playwright, his comedies include The Glint (given a benefit reading on Broadway starring Beau Bridges, Jean Smart, Michael McKean and SNL’s Cecily Strong) and Thrillsville (given a benefit reading at the George Street Playhouse starring Edie Falco, Richard Kind, Grant Shaud and Adriane Lenox), In Transit (FringeNYC Best Playwriting Award), The Student (Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival Winner) and The Audience (co-book writer, Drama Desk Best New Musical Award Nominee).
For more info: MattHoverman.com /
Go-Solo.org
“Gustavo Pace exudes the passion of his Brazilian heritage in everything he does. Native of Rio de Janeiro, he brings fun with him everywhere he goes”
Diane Paulus, Tony winner director
“The show is dedicated to those who have a life dream and work hard to achieve it. Pace said he hopes people will find personal inspiration in his journey”
Huffington Post
“Pace is enormously likable and engaging”
nytheatre.com
“Gustavo Pace shines in Naked Brazilian”
Viva! Lifestyles
“Naked Brazilian strikes Gold at FringeNYC”
ZealNYC
“Pace has a fun, joyous optimism that practically bursts out of his chest, and it is impossible not to like him from the moment he walks on stage"
Theatre Is Easy
“When boundless energy combines with incredible talent the result is Gustavo Pace and Naked Brazilian”
Women Around Town
“His inexhaustible energy, charming presence and impeccable timing all help to achieve his dream”
Theatre Reviews Limited
“Gustavo has a certain magic and passion. It makes the audience happy in his presence”
Harry Woolever, Director and Choreographer of the first Broadway Musical in Brazil
Follow Naked Brazilian:
facebook.com/NBrazilian