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A tale to think, feel, and grow: how the story of a wicked wizard became
a powerful tool for education, creativity, and transformation.
What if a children's
play could awaken values, stimulate autonomy, and develop the emotional and
intellectual potential of children? Meet the powerful work “The Wizard
Esculfield from the Castle of Chamberleim” and understand how it is
transforming classrooms and hearts.
Theater has always been
more than a stage. In the hands of a wise educator and creator like Antônio
Carlos dos Santos, it becomes a tool for transformation, self-knowledge, and
discovery. His play “The Wizard Esculfield from the Castle of Chamberleim,”
from the collection “Wonderful Stories to Learn While Having Fun,” is a shining
example of how the art of dramaturgy can touch both children and adults. The
tale presents Esculfield, a dark and powerful wizard who captures students to
sow in them the seeds of evil, individualism, and moral ruin. But beyond the
apparent darkness, there is an invitation: to reflect, question, and awaken.
The character Esculfield is
not just a villain. He is a metaphor for all the seductions of contemporary
society that distance us from values such as justice, truth, and fraternity. He
represents, symbolically, the market logic that teaches children to compete
instead of collaborate, to consume instead of share, and to obey without
questioning. In this sense, the play serves as a reflective mirror of the world
we live in—and invites a courageous and transformative confrontation.
Curiosity Box
🧙♂️ The name “Chamberleim”
evokes the idea of an ancestral and mysterious place, where darkness and wisdom
mix. Just like our inner world, full of contradictions and untapped potential.
In the pedagogical vision
of Antônio Carlos dos Santos, learning is not just a transmission of knowledge
but a process of transformation. His methodologies, known as “Pedagogies of
Creativity and Autonomy (PCA),” combine playfulness, neuroscience, and
emotional intelligence. In PCA, children are seen as active protagonists of
their learning journey. In this scenario, the theater is not an accessory—it is
the stage of life itself.
One of the most powerful
tools created by Antônio Carlos is MBPT (Mané Beiçudo Puppet Theater),
which encourages the expression of emotions, the development of empathy, and
the collective construction of meanings. In “The Wizard Esculfield,” puppets
can represent the internal voices of children, their conflicts, and
fears—making the abstract tangible and manageable. Through play, children learn
to dialogue with their feelings.
Practical Tip
🎭 Use puppets to help children externalize what they cannot yet say
with words. Esculfield can be the “fear of the dark,” “anger when losing,” or
“envy of a friend.” From there, open space for conversation and transformation.
Another innovative axis of
PCA is MAT (Mindset, Action, and Theater). This methodology
works on the child's ability to assume new roles, rehearse alternative
behaviors, and reframe life situations. In other words, the child rehearses on
stage what they will face in real life. In the play, when children resist
Esculfield’s evil charms, they are, in practice, strengthening autonomy, moral
judgment, and critical thinking.
Motivational Quote
🗨️ “Children must be educated, but they also need to be inspired to
imagine.” – Maria Montessori
Complementing PCA is ThM
(Theater Movement), which explores body expression, rhythm, and motor
coordination. With this approach, the child is not only cognitively engaged but
also emotionally and physically. In “The Wizard Esculfield,” scenes that
involve running, hiding, and facing the wizard become opportunities to develop
body awareness, regulation, and confidence. Movement is not an accessory: it is
a language.
Esculfield's castle, then,
is not only a setting in the imagination—it is the symbolic space of every
child who faces challenges, tests, and seductions. And like every good
theatrical journey, what counts is not the beginning of the story, but its outcome.
In Antônio Carlos’s play, the ending is as surprising as it is hopeful. Through
cooperation and the rediscovery of values, the children manage to escape
Esculfield’s dominion and transform the castle into a school of life,
solidarity, and joy.
Inspirational Story
📚 In a public school in the interior of Bahia, the staging of “The
Wizard Esculfield” involved children from all classes. A student with selective
mutism agreed to play one of the forest animals and, after several rehearsals,
spoke their first line out loud on performance day—bringing teachers and
parents to tears.
Scientific research from
universities like Stanford and Harvard supports the use of theater in
education. Studies indicate that the arts stimulate multiple areas of the
brain, improve executive functions, and enhance emotional intelligence.
Children who participate in dramatic activities develop greater empathy, better
verbal expression, and greater resilience in the face of frustration. All of
this is aligned with PCA's proposals and reinforced by Antônio Carlos's works.
The “Wonderful Stories to
Learn While Having Fun” collection includes ten complete plays, each with a
powerful ethical, emotional, and pedagogical message. “The Wizard Esculfield”
stands out for its emotional complexity, symbolic richness, and transformative
potential. But all the plays—such as “Isn’t it Better to Share?” or “How Good
It Is to Be Different”—bring seeds that germinate in fertile and imaginative
hearts.
Theater, as Aristotle
already claimed, purifies, transforms, and teaches. With Antônio Carlos dos
Santos, this ancient art gains new meaning. His dramaturgy does not only
entertain—it awakens. May Esculfield’s story inspire many other awakenings. May
castles be transformed, not into prisons, but into places of learning, love,
and freedom.
Access the books by Antônio Carlos dos Santos on amazon.com or amazon.com.br
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