The aim of this research is to discuss the way in which some theatre companies from Rio de Janeiro fit into the context of the contemporary. In the national and international scene a large number of theatre groups and companies are dedicated to aesthetic experimentation and the dramatic text is stimulus for a free interpretation and for improvisation games which result in more expanded plays. In this context where the dramaturgical writing on stage overlaps the text previously written, the concept of post-modern theatre, as well as post-dramatic theatre, coined by Hans-Thies Lehmann, are contrasted with the concept of performative, as proposed by Erika Fischer-Lichte and Josette Féral. Although these concepts may apply to some performance pieces brought about by this research, they do not account for the whole repertory of these theatrical companies from Rio de Janeiro. Thus, at first, after an examination into the post-dramatic and performative, an investigation concerning the contemporary and contemporaneity is carried out through analysis of Art, Theatre and Literature scholars writings on these issues. Secondly, there will be an appreciation of how theatre groups and companies were formed in Brazil, with special attention paid to those investigated here and their corresponding ways of theatre making: devising and collaborative work. Finally, based on an examination into recent theatrical practices of the companies Os Dezequilibrados and Cia. dos Atores, this investigation aims at reflecting upon what can be understood as contemporary theatre and how it can be perceived in Rio de Janeiro s current stages.