Bloch, Pedro

Pedro Bloch (1914, Ukraine – February 23, 2004, Brazil) was a Brazilian writer. His family immigrated to Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century. He is famous for his plays, such as Dona Xepa and Mãos de Eurídice. Also, he wrote more than a hundred books, one of which is Pai, me compra um amigo? Many of those books were inspired by his experiences taking care of children. His collections of children's sayings and anecdotes are quite renowned. Bloch was a musician, a playwright, and a physician; he had been a member of the Brazilian National Faculty of Medicine since 1937. His most renowned play was As Mãos de Eurídice, which debuted on May 13, 1950 and which went on to be performed more than 60,000 times in more than 45 countries. Two years later, he created another success, Dona Xepa, which was even turned into a soap opera on the Rede Globo network. Pedro Bloch's interest in theater stemmed from the actors who used to visit him. Pedro Bloch died at the age of 89 of respiratory insufficiency in his apartment in Copacabana. His grave is in the Cemitério Communal Israelita in Rio de Janeiro. He was cousin of media tycoon Adolpho Bloch.