Ludi Insulae : classical theatre as public engagement in the Amazon

Abstract This article analyses the conception, development, and consolidation of Ludi Insulae , an experience of interpreting classical theatre in the heart of the Amazon that operates through university public engagement. Emerging from isolated performances held in 2016 and 2018, the project arose from a rejection of the ephemerality of the ‘single performance’ and from an understanding of classical theatre as a formative and collective practice. Grounded in reception aesthetics and in contemporary approaches to theatrical pedagogy, Ludi Insulae is structured around cycles of collective reading, the adaptation of translated works to a specific cultural context, progressive rehearsals, and performances in non-conventional spaces such as river beaches, public squares, riverside communities, and educational institutions. The article examines the institutionalisation of the project as a public-engagement initiative linked to the Latinitates research group and the Classical Culture Laboratory (LCC) over four seasons between 2022 and 2025. It further highlights classical theatre as an instrument of cultural mediation, teacher education, and social intervention within the Amazonian context.