Eleonora ou A Corrida pelo Fim

Abstract

Eleonora or The Race to the End is a play for children and teenagers that aims to to engage young audiences through a magical, comic, and tragic theatrical fable. Set in a post-apocalyptic landscape scarred by environmental destruction, the story follows Eleonora, a young girl entrusted with the mission of saving the last book of humanity by carrying it to the Library of the Island of the Wind. This magical book, capable of altering the past, becomes the target of figures embodying greed and authoritarianism, such as the Baroness. The play emerges from a desire to fill a perceived gap in youth-oriented dramaturgy, addressing themes such as grief, growth, and personal responsibility. Its aesthetic is directly influenced by Japanese shounen-style animation, such as Boku no Hero, One Piece, and Naruto. This influence is evident not only in the narrative structure—marked by the heroine’s journey—but also in the alternating rhythms of contemplative scenes and moments of high intensity and action. Accompanied by the wise mage Amana and other guiding characters, Eleonora discovers that facing the ruins of the world also means confronting her own pains and uncertainties. The play suggests that resistance—whether ecological, emotional, or imaginative—can be built through friendship, knowledge, and courage. Ultimately, Eleonora or The Race to the End proposes that the end might only be a beginning, and that writing one’s own story is an act of survival and a way of inventing the future.