Most Recent: September 19, 2025
Gustavo Prado Sampaio (he/him/his) is a Brazilian theater-maker, activist, and researcher. His performing and producing work is primarily experimental and socially responsive. Gustavo participated in a number of Off-Off-Broadway and international productions at venues such as HERE Arts Center, United Solo, Theater for the New City, Prague Fringe Festival, among others. As an activist, he uses theatre-making techniques to address pressing social issues, including immigration policy, civil rights, and food/housing security. Gustavo's research is primarily concerned with the biography and work of Augusto Boal. More generally, he is interested in Brazilian queer performance and the intersections of theater-making and censorship during periods of authoritarian rule. As part of his arts management background, Gustavo has developed an interest in cultural policy, particularly in the development of legal alternatives to the traditional arts non-profit model. Gustavo is a student in the PhD in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies program at University of California, Santa Barbara. He holds a MA in Arts Management from The New School and MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College.