As part of Yellow September - World Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Month - the production Desconexão returns for two shows on September 5 and 12. The work explores how mental conditions including depression, anxiety and burnout have infiltrated Brazilian daily life, while also offering poetic reflection on approaches to reduce suffering. Following an August run at Centro Cultural Olido, the piece continues dialogue on mental health during the campaign period. According to the World Health Organization - WHO, Brazil ranks 2nd globally in prevalence of anxiety disorders, affecting more than 16 million people. Brazil's Ministry of Health reports the country also carries the highest rate of depression across Latin America, reaching 11 million individuals. These figures informed Cia. Lágrima de Teatro's research in creating Desconexão. Admission is free. The performance unfolds within the mind of someone experiencing depressive decline. Text by Dan Elias, who also performs, the work draws inspiration from Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis and philosopher Byung Chul-Han's Tired Society. "We center Millennial and Generation Z, who encounter anxiety in very intense and specific ways," Elias explains. "I'm deeply pleased by these additional performances during Yellow September, as this work aims to raise awareness about caring for our mental health," he adds. A single character appears fragmented across three performers on stage - Desconexão portrays the struggle of afflicted generations seeking recovery amid everyday pressures. Contemporary malaise driven by social and workplace demands forms the central theme. Depicting human difficulty with anguish, sadness, fear and euphoria, the piece demonstrates the role of tools such as therapy in confronting systems that promote and normalize collective exhaustion while individualizing responsibility. Original score performed live during each presentation, the work reflects on how the mental health crisis connects to digital hyperconnection and employment instability, producing job precarity, emotional disconnection and widespread isolation. Synopsis: Desconexão follows a person split into three, guiding the audience through chambers of their mind searching for a path back to reality. Along the way, they encounter memories, trauma and new perspectives - and must decide whether to see things as before or transform their approach to living. SERVICE Desconexão When: Saturdays, September 5 and 12 Time: 19h Venue: Centro Cultural Olido (Sala Paissandú) Address: Av. São João, 473, Centro Histórico de São Paulo (SP) - near São Bento and Anhangabaú metro stations. Price: Free - Tickets available at box office 1h before each performance.
