Brazilian playwright Ze Celso, one of the pioneers of the avant-garde theatre, announced his life in São Paulo, at the age of 86, following burns from a fire in his apartment, about his theater company.

Jose Celso Martínez Correa, better known as Z Celso, has been hospitalized in intensive care since early Tuesday morning, when a fire caused by an electric stove burned more than half of his body.

The death of the playwright, a central figure in Brazilian theater for more than half a century, prompted immediate reactions of grief in the cultural and political world, including that of Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

“Brazil today bids farewell to one of the biggest names in the history of Brazilian theatre, one of its most creative artists. José Celso Martínez Correa, or Ze Celso, as he was always affectionately called, was an artist who sought innovation and renewal from the stage, ”the head of state wrote on the social network. Twitter.

“Courageous, he has always advocated democracy and creativity, often facing censorship. He has turned the Teatro Oficina in São Paulo into a living space to train new artists. He left an enormous legacy in Brazilian drama and national culture. My condolences to his relatives, students and fans. It was Jose’s path Celso Martínez serves as a landmark for the history of the arts in Brazil and will not be forgotten,” added Lula da Silva.