
SURPREZA - SURPREZA - ENTRE-ACTO - ORIGINAL - DE - MIGUEL J. T. MASCARENHAS - PORTO
PERSONAGENS
ENTRE-ACTO
SCENA I - LAURA E ARTHUR
SCENA II
SCENA III - ARTHUR E LAURA
SCENA IV
SCENA V - LAURA E JOÃO
SCENA VI - OS MESMOS, E ARTHUR
SCENA VII
In a cramped, soot‑blackened room on a modest street of 19th‑century Porto, Laura stitches and sings while caring for her nine‑year‑old brother Arthur. Their daily routine is punctuated by the looming presence of Lieutenant Alfredo, a kindly officer whose occasional visits bring both financial relief and an uneasy emotional dependence. Laura’s quiet gratitude masks a deeper yearning, as she navigates the precarious balance between gratitude and longing in a world that offers little security to a poor seamstress.
The play captures the stark realities of poverty, the fragile hope that a single benefactor can provide, and the tender bond between siblings thrust into adulthood too soon. As Laura confronts the relentless demands of her craft and the weight of societal expectations, listeners are drawn into a vivid portrait of resilience, longing, and the quiet drama that unfolds behind a humble kitchen door.
Full title
Surpreza Entre-acto original Entre-acto original
Language
pt
Duration
~21 minutes (21K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2008-04-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

A little-known Portuguese writer whose surviving works bring together drama and history. His fiction and stage writing, now preserved through digital archives, offer a glimpse of 19th-century Portuguese literary life.
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