‘Today we are more talked about in the dining room’, says Nany People about trans presence in the arts

Nany People collects funny — and sometimes scatological — stories about life as a couple. They are brought together in the presentations of “How to Save a Marriage”, a monologue currently being shown in São Paulo, with half-price tickets for everyone. The actress opens the floor for the audience to tell stories or ask questions, and then the bizarre things emerge, to which she reacts with humor.

In one of these cases, the woman said that her husband called her for a loving kiss in the bathroom, after finishing number 2, in the middle of their honeymoon. In another, the man used a soap to wash his face. There are also the typical fights for attention with football and the small everyday annoyances.

In the show, Nany laughs with the audience about the ups and downs of life as a couple. However, she maintains her belief in love — and in humor.

“These are two things that never go out of style,” he says. “Either you pay the bill because you’re in love with someone, or you pay the bill to the therapist because you’re not in love with anyone. Since you’re going to have to pay anyway, you might as well pay it if you have to,” he says, adding a swear word.

“How to Save a Marriage” premiered 16 years ago and marked Nany’s return to theater, after years of performing in LGBTQIA+ nightclubs. She commissioned the script from comedian Bruno Motta after giving up nightclub shows.

“When the chemical drug entered the night, I saw people stop paying attention to the show,” he explains. “I saw that something was happening and it was no longer relevant for me to be there.”

A lot has changed in society between the first performances, almost two decades ago, and the revival, in 2024. The play was written for a heteronormative couple and became a monologue. Nany added neutral pronouns and, now, approaches love taking into account the multiple possibilities of relationships.

The artist spoke to the F5 in Goiânia, hours after the performance of “How to Save a Marriage” at the Teatro Gazeta, in São Paulo. He traveled without sleeping and had to pack his suitcase in the dark — on a night of blackouts in Bela Vista, in the central region of the capital. The next day, he would go to Brasília for another performance.

She tours the country with four solo shows —in addition to “Como Salvar um Casamento”, she presents “Deu no que Deu”, “Sob Medida – Nany canta Fafá” and “Nany É Pop”. On TV, she participates in Caldeirão do Mion and has just recorded another season of “Vai que Cola”. She also makes films and will have theater performances outside Brazil.

The life of a ballerina is hard, but it’s worth it, she says. The actress says she is an expert at “making lemonade out of lemons” and, when she was starring in nightclubs, she bought three apartments. At the time, she performed up to seven shows a night.

Nany is the kind of person who makes things happen. To make “How to Save a Marriage” possible, for example, she relies on sponsorship from weight loss products, which she promotes on stage. She also sells themed fans in the theater lobby.

“I’m not going to wait for Avon, Natura, a musical, a soap opera to call me. Love, if that’s the case I won’t do anything.”

She mentions advice she heard from Paulo Gustavo about securing her own productions to get work. And she says she has three great inspirations in actress-producers: Dercy Gonçalves, Bibi Ferreira and Fernanda Montenegro.

In the Brazilian TV show business for 30 years, Nany was a reporter for Goulart de Andrade’s Comando da Madrugada, on Manchete; she worked as Amaury Jr. on the program Flash; and she worked alongside Hebe Camargo, also as a reporter, on SBT. In addition, she participated in the third edition of A Fazenda, on Record, and in Xuxa’s program, on the same channel, among other programs.

Marcos Paulo, a character in the soap opera “O Sétimo Guardião”, on Globo, in 2018, contributed to her recognition as an actress. “The fact that I did my first soap opera at the age of 54 came at a time of recognition for my work”, she highlights. “I arrived knowing how much my pass is worth.”

Nany cites artists such as Divina Valéria and Rogéria to talk about the historical presence of trans women in the artistic scene. But she admits that, currently, their visibility is greater. “Today, we are more talked about in the dining room,” she says. “Hebe Camargo is one of those responsible for this. She introduced me to Brazilian society,” says Nany.

Married for eight years, she also makes things happen in marriage. “I’ve already made my boyfriend travel 300 km to meet me in Goiânia,” she says. “My skin is fine, thank you very much. I’m a passionate woman.”