Spanish Theater Evolution: Post-Civil War to 1980s Drama
Challenges and Constraints of Post-Civil War Theater
The theater after the Spanish Civil War faced numerous difficulties and constraints. These included economic challenges, marked by a lack of interest from producers, and ideological and political pressures from a regime that imposed heavy censorship.
Two Major Trends Emerge (1940s)
Two major trends emerged in this period. The first was the ‘theatrical business,’ following the line of Benavente. This approach was favored by producers as it focused on plays that entertained without challenging the audience, lacking critical depth and aiming purely for entertainment. This commercial theater encompassed several types:
- Traditional Poetic Drama: Represented by José María Pemán, who, in line with previous poetic drama, defended values such as authority, national unity, heroism, and Catholicism – a clear defense of the political regime.
- Humor Theater: Witty and inheriting the avant-garde audacity of the Generation of ’27, this trend was represented by two great authors: Enrique Jardiel Poncela (Eloísa is Under an Almond Tree) and Miguel Mihura (Three Top Hats).
- Bourgeois High Comedy: A typical bourgeois theater, heir to Benavente’s high comedy, featuring well-constructed, witty works that mastered the art of dialogue. Notable among these was Edgar Neville (The Dance).
Antonio Buero Vallejo: A Turning Point
However, in the late 1940s, a pivotal work premiered: Historia de una escalera (1949), which introduced one of the most important authors of all post-war theater: Antonio Buero Vallejo. While his entire body of work would be dominated by a central theme – ‘the search for meaning in human life’ – Historia de una escalera was a revelation. It transcended prevailing commercial theater patterns and presented a realistic drama with a clear existential approach, mirroring trends in contemporary poetry and fiction.
Buero Vallejo’s Second Stage: Social and Ethical Drama (1950s-1960s)
The second stage of Buero Vallejo’s production (1950s and 1960s) presented a more complex theater, with content that was social and ethical, rather than purely existential. Works such as El concierto de San Ovidio or El tragaluz became precursors of ‘social theater.’ A new, young, university audience, coupled with a slight political opening of the regime, fostered the emergence of theater focused on social protest, aligning with contemporary committed poetry and social novels. This was a simple and realistic drama that denounced specific problems and social injustice, ultimately used by authors as a tool for social criticism. In this new generation, Lauro Olmo (The Shirt) stands out.
Buero Vallejo’s Third Stage: Experimental and Critical Theater (1970s-1980s)
Buero Vallejo’s third stage, experimental in style, incorporated new theatrical techniques and political, social, and ethical content, connecting with the theater of the 1970s and 1980s. His most important works from this period include The Double History of Doctor Valmy and The Foundation. The drama of these years saw the transcendence of ‘realism’ through experimental European and American aesthetics. This ‘new theatrical art’ comprised critical theater, often inaccessible to the majority (thus, minority works). Notable authors and groups included:
- Joglars: Representatives of communal theater experiences.
- Francisco Nieva: Whose political theater employed parable and allegory.
- Fernando Arrabal: An exponent of independent theater (irrational, symbolic, and often hermetic), known for works like The Car Cemetery.
Moderation and Return to Realism (By 1980)
By 1980, the avant-garde moderated, giving way to a more traditional, realistic drama. Fernando Fernán Gómez achieved success with Bicycles Are for Summer, alongside farce-related theater such as Alonso de Santos’s The Moor.