GENDER AND RACE ON SCENE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INDIGENOUS WOMAN’S CHARACTERIZATION IN THE MINISERIES A MURALHA AND IN THE SOAP OPERA UGA-UGA

Abstract

This study analyzes how the indigenous woman is represented in two productions of Rede Globe, a miniseries and a soap opera, respectively: A muralha (2000) and Uga-Uga (2000-2001). It is our intention to demonstrate how indigenous women are exposed in television narratives, evidencing stereotyped representations in roles generally interpreted by non-indigenous, artificially tanned actresses. This practice makes us establish a relationship with blackface, which emerged in the nineteenth century, and in which white actors were painted black in order to play black characters in the theatre. In the miniseries A muralha, the character that we analyse will be Moatira, interpreted by the non-indigenous actress Maria Maya. We will discuss the characterization/practice that here we call redface. In the soap opera Uga-Uga, we will highlight the performance of the indigenous actress Silvia Nobre, as Crococá. We will analyse the role assigned to her and how she was exposed when recording with white actors. We will discuss relations of power and subalternization in relation to gender, race, and social class, as well as the limits of comicality in Brazilian television.