Performances are known for their massive length (often over 5 hours) and high level of audience interaction. The theater itself—designed by Lina Bo Bardi —features a long central "street" (passarela) where actors and the public mingle in a "Dionysian ritual".

The prestigious Samba School Vai-Vai honored Zé Celso’s legacy in the 2025 São Paulo Carnival with the theme "O chamã de Devorado e a deglutição bacante de quem ousou sonhar desordem," directly referencing the "Bacante" spirit of his work.

The score mixes diverse Brazilian genres like marchinhas , ponto de macumba , and tropicalismo. Legacy and Recent Developments

Teatro: Oficina pluga sua ópera orgiástica em "Bacantes" - Folha

The story follows the god Dionysus returning to his birthplace, Thebes, to assert his divinity against the repressive King Pentheus. In Teatro Oficina's version, this becomes a battle between liberation and authoritarianism.