The world of theater remembers the “Master”, who trained countless actors

Actors, many of them former students of Carlos Aviles, directors and theater companies paid tribute to “The Master”, the director and actor who died this Wednesday at the age of 88.

Portuguese actress Janie Zhao, who studied as a teenager at the Cascais Professional Theater School (EPTC), created by Carlos Aviles in 1992, told Lusa that the director was “a master and will forever remain an inescapable benchmark in Portuguese theatre.” .” .

“It was from him that I learned my first things about theater. […] The school that he created gave the way to many of today’s actors and actresses, it prepared many professionals thoroughly, deeply and seriously, with special dedication and dedication,” said the actress.

Actor João Jesus, also a former EPTC student, took to social media to thank “The Teacher” for the passion, truth, professionalism and “all the determination” he always passed on to his students.

“We thought he was immortal, and without a doubt he is, because he will remain inside us forever. Every time I go on stage, I will always remember you. Long live your soul. Rest in peace.” , he wrote.

Actor and former EPTS student Igor Regala remembered the “extraordinary creature” who breathed the theater “from morning to night.”

“I have never met anyone who was as passionate about his work as Carlos. He gave me so much as a Master… He taught me to really look inside myself. And his obsession with his profession taught me that there is no other way to be. And if we worked hard, the results would appear… thank you for making me obsessed with the profession too. And I am sure hundreds of students can say the same. Eternally grateful for everything, Master,” shared on social networks.

Singer and actor Fernando Fernandez, FF, speaks of his former teacher as a man who “appears in the vanguard of the brave who exchange their lives for the stage.”

“And he will always live in all his students, in everyone who saw his plays. I can’t imagine a greater example of the Master’s tenderness and wisdom. Thank you,” he wrote on social networks.

Other actors and former EPTC students, such as Sara Matos, Tomás Alves or Rafael Morais, decided to share photographs of Carlos Aviles, thus remembering “Teacher”.

EPTC, in a statement posted on social media, said the death of the school’s principal and founder was received “with deep regret” at the institution.

“His passing leaves an irreparable void not only in the theater community, but in the hearts of all those who had the privilege of knowing him and learning from his passion for the theater. Carlos Aviles was a visionary who dedicated his life to cultural enrichment and education through the theater. His contribution to the nurturing of countless talents and to the development of the performing arts in our society will be remembered forever,” the publication says.

Not only those who studied with the actor and director publicly remembered him on the day of his death.

Director and actress Natalya Louise admitted that there was no one in the Theater for whom she felt “such deep emotional recognition.” “For being the only person I felt truly loved as an actress, for always hearing him speak with enthusiasm as a person who started theater in every project he dreamed of, for giving me so much of a future and for creating a drama school that has allowed us to see and admire current and, I am convinced, many future actors. THANK YOU CARLOS for so much love and resistance, for making us love the theater and actors so much,” reads a message posted on social networks.

Actor Elmano Sancho wrote about the “sad and painful news” of the death of Carlos Aviles, “a true gentleman, kind, always attentive, sensitive, attentive, caring for actors” with whom he first worked in 2019. at the Experimental Theater of Cascais in the play “Lulu”.

Actress São José Lapa said on social media that in Cascais, “the theater was created with faith and knowledge,” while actress Luisa Ortigoso believes that Portuguese theater owes “a large part of its history” to Carlos Aviles.

Actor Diogo Infante wrote about the actor and director who “inspired and shaped generations of actors with his intensity, passion and ability to make them feel special.”

“His legacy will certainly continue through all those who knew him and who witnessed his dedication to the theater. For my part, I will be forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me and for the affection with which he always treated me,” he wrote on social networks.

Producer and businessman Helder Freire Costa of the Maria Vitória Theater emphasized that “the Theater mourns and becomes poorer” after the death of Carlos Aviles, noting that “there are no words to describe his enormous dedication and zeal throughout his long life.” dedicated to what he loved most – the Theater.”

The Teatro da Comuna, Seiva Trupe, the Foundation of the House of Luis I, of which he was a member of the board from the very beginning, the Casa do Artista, the Equipment Management and Cultural Entertainment Company (EGEAC) of the Lisbon City Council, and the Society of Portuguese Authors also mourned the death of Carlos Aviles.