Guilherme Meletti Yazbek (he/him) is a Brazilian scholar, educator, theater director, and actor. His research focuses on improvisation, actor training, and the intersection of architecture and movement in both artistic and daily contexts, with a particular interest in the relationship between queer bodies and urban spaces.
Yazbek earned his MA in 2022 from the Performing Arts program at the University of São Paulo (ECA-USP), specializing in Theatre Theory and Practice, under the advisory of Prof. Dr. Luiz Fernando Ramos. His master's research was interdisciplinary, blending performing and visual arts, and centered on the theatrical work of Brazilian visual artist Laura Vinci, particularly within the Mundana Companhia group. He also explored the scenic experiments of the Bauhaus and the "performative turn" of the 1960s and 70s, including North American minimalism and postmodern dance.
He holds a BA in Performing Arts, with a concentration in Theater Direction from the University of São Paulo (2010), where he studied under prominent figures such as Antônio Araújo, Cibele Forjaz, and Maria Thais. As an actor, he joined the Experimental Center for Performing Arts (Núcleo Experimental de Artes Cênicas) at SESI São Paulo in 2015, under the direction of Miriam Rinaldi. From 2018 to 2021, he taught improvisation using the Viewpoints technique at the same center. Additionally, he has over a decade of experience teaching in reputable Middle and High Schools in São Paulo.
Yazbek's training includes intensives at SITI Company (Suzuki/Viewpoints) and the École International de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq (Laboratoire d’Étude du Mouvement). He has also participated in workshops with international artists such as Thadd McQuade (USA), Torsten Blume (Germany), Francesca della Monica (Italy), Mario Biagini (Italy), and Brazilian artists like André Malosá, Mariana Muniz, Ricardo Neves, and Wagner Schwartz.
Among his notable projects are acting in "Tiros em Osasco" (2016), directed by Yara de Novaes, and co-directing "Loucas de Pedra" (2016), which won awards for best show, best lead actress, direction, and lighting design at the ACESC Festival. In cultural management, he curated the Projeto Encontros (2012/2013), a visual and performing arts initiative in São Paulo subway stations. He was also the executive producer of "Bento Batuca" (2018), directed by Luciana Ramanzini and Eduardo Leão, which won the APCA Award for best children's musical, and the local executive producer of Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape" (2012), directed and performed by Robert Wilson.
When not studying, teaching, or rehearsing, you can likely find him singing Brazilian songs or practicing Brazilian percussion.
Representative Publications
Research Interests
Improvisation, Movement studies, Research-based theatre, Devised theatre, Actor training, Contemporary Performance, Queer and Feminist Studies, Latin American Studies, History of Architecture, Installation art.
Education & Training
- MA, Performing Arts, University of São Paulo, 2022
- BA, Performing Arts (concentration in Theatre Direction), University of São Paulo, 2010
