From Surgipelago, the Beach Surgery encyclopedia
Caatinga
This article concerns the immersive theatre work set in the northeastern Brazilian Caatinga biome, adapted from Half Two of *Beach Surgery*. For the biome itself, see external references.
**Caatinga** is a participatory theatre work staged across the semi-arid scrubland of northeastern Brazil, treating the landscape itself as stage for Half Two. Over three to five days, small groups move through authentic terrain—thorny jurema thickets, red laterite earth, ephemeral poços (waterholes)—encountering staged scenes that echo Leif and Katita's descent into the desert interior. A fragmentary geological survey in regional archives bears the filename , though provenance remains obscure.[citation needed]
The adaptation relocates the rocket cart's climactic descent and Leif's flight to mesa drops and thorn-thickets as analogue to Katita's blade. The red earth mirrors the red desert of the novel's interior. Participants wear minimal costume; the Caatinga's climate—heat, dryness, sudden rains—becomes dramaturgical force.
The work embodies the cycle: groups spiral through identical sites on different days, encountering altered scenes. No two walkthroughs repeat. Performance notes are minimal; environmental cues emerge from landscape grain—lichen, ant trails, wind-resonance (the sound the earth refuses).
Fandom status remains contested. Some link the work's thorn-imagery to Katita's weaponry and ethical refusal; others read it as simple eco-theatre unaware of the novel.