We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Thiane Lavrador a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Thiane, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It took me years to make a living out of my creative work, but I believe this is a natural path to most artists. What worked for me, was when I created my goals and planned my life accordingly. It is a very unstable line of work, though, therefore it is important to be able to adapt to the new realities.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started in performing arts when I was a little girl. At the age of 7, I took my first ballet classes and have been studying dance ever since. I explored different techniques: tap dance, flamenco, and contemporary. At some point, with encouragement from my teachers, I also ventured into theatre. This path led me to transform the arts from a hobby into my profession.
I graduated in São Paulo in “Comunicação das Artes do Corpo,” a unique course that, at the time, explored the boundaries between different artistic languages. I specialized in both Theatre and Dance. I graduated in 2009, and shortly after, began working both on stage and as a teacher. In 2010, I had my first international experience as an artist-in-residence at the Laboratório de Artes Criativas in Portugal. In 2012, I moved to London, where I got my MFA in Acting from East 15, one of the top drama schools in the UK. I had the opportunity to perform as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at The Globe Theatre and to do a residency at GITIS in Moscow, where I researched Chekhov and biomechanics. I also took workshops with some companies I deeply admire, such as Rhum and Clay, CandoCo Dance, and Complicité.
During my time in the UK, like most actors worldwide, I took on other jobs to make ends meet. I was very fortunate to always work within the arts, holding positions such as front of house, box office, and operations supervisor. While it wasn’t the stage work every performer aspires to, it gave me the opportunity to watch a lot of great theatre.
In 2017, I decided to return to Brazil. Upon my return, alongside Júlia Mariano, I founded 2 Mililitros Cia Teatral. The company now focuses on creating work for young audiences, ranging from ages 0 to 18. Our productions for babies and toddlers have been particularly successful, receiving excellent reviews from both audiences and critics alike. At 2 Mililitros, I work as an actor, producer, and, in our latest production, as the director.
In addition to my work with the company, I have been an assistant director for operas at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, and I’ve collaborated with other artists and companies as an actor, movement director, and director. I love teaching, and mentoring young talents is one of my passions.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We need good state funded policies to keep developing great creative work. Culture is fundamental because it empowers people to develop critical thinking and should be seen as something as important as health, education, etc.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2017, alongside Júlia Mariano, I founded 2 Mililitros Cia Teatral. It took us a lot of work, time and patience to get to where we are today. Our debut show, Cadê?, is aimed at babies aged 0 to 3. Once we turned our attention to this age group, we realized how few activities are available in Brazil comparison to the demand. Since then, we have been researching performing arts for early childhood, whether through theatre performances, experiences, workshops, storytelling, installations, and more.
As a company founded by two women, one of our core values is to always prioritize working with predominantly female teams and to seek inspiration for our projects with this theme in mind.
In December 2021, the company was awarded state funding for the project Cadê? O que? Achou! – Poetic Actions for Early Childhood. A program entirely dedicated to peole from 0 to 6 years old. It toured eight cultural centers in São Paulo.
In July 2022, we premiered Os Céus e Suas Histórias, inspired by the astronomer Annie Maunder, one of the first known female scientists. Also aimed at babies and young children, this work was directed by Elenira Peixoto, founder of Cia Zin, who has also been researching arts dedicated to babies for over ten years. This show has had a very successful trajectory. In addition to the groundbreaking performances for babies and toddlers at Teatro Paulo Autran, we also toured various cities in the state of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
In July 2023, we held the first Mostra PIPA a festival dedicated to artistic proposals for the early years funded by the city o Atibaia. All activities were free and open to the public.
Among other concerns, we have begun to observe other age groups that are often overlooked when it comes to performing arts. While there are numerous productions for children aged 6 to 10, there is a new gap during the transition from childhood to adolescence. This observation led to the creation of the play CATIMBA – A Reviravolta do Glorioso Grêmio Recreativo de Pirapora da Vila Pauliceia e Seu Elenco Incomum, my debut as director. Once again we managed to get funding and the play premiered in April 2024 and toured different parks and venues with free performances for all. The narrative is centered on the challenges of youth, female leadership, and soccer. The play is rated for all ages but was specifically created for audiences aged 11 to 17.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.2mililitros.com.br
• Instagram: @thianelavrador

Image Credits

Julio Aracack
Wes Barba
Diogo Mar
Flávia Mesquita