Cia de Teatro Contemporaneo

Dinho Valladares and Aline Bourseau founded Cia de Teatro Contemporaneo on 8 August 2001 in Rio de Janeiro. In April 2004 the company purchased and renovated a mansion at Rua Conde de Iraja 253, Botafogo, converting it into a two-theatre venue that became their permanent home. A second location in the Tijuca/Maracana neighbourhood was added.

In 2001, after watching competitive improvisation in Buenos Aires where audiences voted on scenes, Valladares and Bourseau began developing the format that became the Festival Carioca de Improv. The first edition, called the Campeonato Carioca de Improvisacao, launched in 2005 with four teams. The inaugural winning team included Tata Werneck, who later became one of Brazil's most prominent television personalities.

The early editions used Theatresports rules; by the third edition the festival shifted to Match rules derived from Montreal. The company subsequently developed its own format. By the fifth edition, the festival had expanded to a Brasileirao national championship. In 2009, a South American Championship brought teams from Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Austria, and other countries. From 2013, a long-form component was added. In 2014, the company performed at the Chicago Improv Festival. The festival ran at least 18 editions through 2023.

Cia de Teatro Contemporaneo offers theatrical productions, improv courses, and training alongside the Festival Carioca de Improv. Bourseau is a professional actress and choreographer trained at the National Conservatory of Lisbon; she is one of the founders of the company's competitive improv programs. The festival's evolution through Theatresports, Match, and original formats reflects the company's engagement with international improv traditions.

Through the Festival Carioca de Improv, Cia de Teatro Contemporaneo helped shape competitive improvisation in South America, creating the infrastructure for national and continental championships over 18+ years. The festival provided a documented early stage for careers including that of Tata Werneck and connected Brazilian improv to international scenes including the Chicago Improv Festival.