Zé Celso, Tropicália theatre pioneer, dies at 86

Brazilian playwright Zé Celso, a pioneer of Tropicália in theatre and founder of Teatro Oficina, died after a fire at his São Paulo apartment. In 1967 he adapted Oswald de Andrade's play O Rei da Vela and co-wrote Roda Viva with Chico Buarque in 1968. Tropicália, coined by Hélio Oiticica and popularized by Caetano Veloso, opposed the Brazilian military dictatorship with anarchic spirit and participatory ethos. Roda Viva, a two-act comedy satirizing consumer society and traditional institutions, was deemed pornographic by the regime and sparked public outrage, with a mob attacking its opening night.