Post-Spanish Civil War Theater: Evolution and Trends
Post-Spanish Civil War Theater
1. The Theater in the 1940s and 1950s
The Spanish Civil War’s impact on theatrical genres was tremendous. Authors like Miert, along with exile and increased commercial and ideological pressures, explored human poverty’s effects on theater from 1939 onward.
1.1 The Theater of the 1940s
The theater was conditioned by the bourgeois society of the time. It represented a fake reality, was outdated, and neglected formal experimentation. The main play types were:
- Comic theater, heir to farce, full of situational jokes and linguistic tags.
- Historical-political theater, which invited audiences to forget immediate realities and celebrated past glories and heroes.
Two main lines of dramatic creation excelled during these years:
- Bourgeois drama, a continuation of Benavente’s comedic style. These were either comedies or ideological escapist dramas, defending conservative values.
- Theater of humor, the most interesting of the period. Poncela and Miguel Mihura were key writers in this line.
1.2 Realistic Theater of Protest and Complaint
The 1950s opened with three important works: Buero Vallejo’s Historia de una escalera, Mihura’s Three Hats, and Sastre’s Squad to Death. These releases hinted at a theater reflecting current problems. Buero and Sastre, along with Lauro Olmo, were key names of this realistic generation.
- Their themes addressed the problems of workers and humble people, highlighting social inequalities and lack of humanity. Many plays never reached the stage, leading to a rise of underground theater.
- Aesthetically, realism prevailed: the stage mimicked everyday spaces with traditional features. Alfonso Sastre used various forms and themes in his ongoing social commitment. Lauro Olmo created proletarian drama with elements borrowed from Arniches’ farce.
1.3 The Plays of Antonio Buero Vallejo
The most interesting playwright during the Franco period was Buero Vallejo. His work, starting with Historia de una escalera, is marked by a commitment to universal human issues.
- His favored genre was tragedy, aiming for audience catharsis. The audience should be moved by the performance and feel compelled to fight for their own destiny. Buero’s theater is problematic, presenting problems without offering solutions.
- Dialogue plays a crucial role.
- Spectacular aspects of theater are also important. The stage must be described in detail. In some cases, like Skylight, multiple spaces appear simultaneously on stage.
His works include historical dramas like A Dreamer for a People and tragedies of flawed characters, whose limited mobility symbolizes human limitations in dealing with reality.
2. Theater From the 1960s to the Present
The 1960s saw a renewal movement, characterized by a fresh approach to current trends like Brecht’s epic theater, underground theater, and the theater of the absurd. After the dictatorship’s end, theater experienced a major crisis. In recent decades, institutional support has ensured its survival.
2.1 New Forms of Dramatic Expression
General characteristics of these groups include:
- Collective creation of the work
- Low rating of the text
- Critical approaches
- Breaks in scenic conventions of space and time
Francisco Nieva labeled his work as “angry theater.”
Fernando Arrabal, with his provocative and rebellious “panic theater,” incorporates elements of avant-garde and absurdist theater.