RILKE, ONE MILLION WORDS
A solo show by Ivo Müller
Directed by Arieta Correa 🎭
Rilke – One Million Words connects an actor in the present with a poet from the past. It tells the story of a writer who, for nearly a year, struggles to create poetry and can only express himself through letters. An actor uses these letters to navigate his own challenges as an immigrant in a country where even his name feels foreign, shaking the foundations of his identity. Together, the poet and the actor explore themes of love, the creative process, and a sense of not belonging, highlighting the importance of being grounded in the present moment—topics that resonate deeply in today’s world.
“Simply brilliant.”
Ruy Jobim Neto, Aplauso Brasil
“The show embraces solitude as a philosophical choice and path to transcendence. Ivo Müller brings an inner intensity, sharp gaze, and precise temperament to this challenging role.”
Jefferson Del Rios, O Estado de S. Paulo
When and where
RILKE, ONE MILLION WORDS
runs January 9 – 25, Thursday – Saturday at 7PM.
Open rehearsals January 3 and 4 at 7PM
Tickets: Suggested donation of $50
History
Besides my work on film and with group theater, I have a solo performance research on the works of poet Rainer Maria Rilke. It started in 2010 with “Letters to a Young Poet”, based on the famous letters Rilke wrote to a young man who wanted to be a writer. This “first version” had puppets on stage, a reference to Tadeusz Kantor works. It was performed for 4 years, in venues in São Paulo and many cities across Brazil.
In 2011 TV Cultura recorded a Television Version. You can watch it on Youtube and have an idea of how it was on stage.
In 2018, I decided to recreate the piece, making a much more simple version: an actor, a desk, and a bunch of envelopes. The new version is called simply RILKE, and the poet breaks the fourth wall, speaking to the audience.
This second version was performed for two years. During the pandemic of Covid-19, in 2020, I performed a version on-line, streamed on Instagram and on Zoom.
RILKE (2018 – 2022)
Actor/Author: Ivo Müller
Based on the works of poet Rainer Maria Rike
Director: Arieta Correa
Assistant director: Juliana Navarro
Light design: Cesar Baptista
Light operator: Vânia Jaconis
Sound editing: Vitor Bathaus
Set design: Rilke collective and
Galpão Base
Wardrobe: Domingas Person
Photos: Priscila Prade
LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET
Author: Rainer Maria Rilke
Cast: Ivo Müller
Collaborative directors: Claudio Cabral and Arieta Corrêa
Light Designer: Davi de Brito e Vânia Jaconis
Costume: Domingas Person
Original Soundtrack: Gustav Mahler
Stagehand, editing and sound operation: Daniel Becker
Art graphic web: Mauro Ventura
Photos: Betina Humeres
Producer: Helena Sroulevich, Domingas Person and Fernando De Marchi
Realization: Blau!, Caribe Produções and Lauper Films.
All the info about this version is here.
