Post-Civil War Spanish Drama: Key Trends and Authors
Spanish Theater After 1939: Context and Early Trends
From 1939 onwards, Spanish theater navigated a complex landscape shaped by socio-political factors and the aftermath of the Civil War. While some innovative voices disappeared or went into exile (like Casona), censorship and commercial constraints heavily influenced production.
High comedy, often set in middle-class environments with trivial themes, continued its run, alongside traditional costumbrista styles. However, by the late 1940s and early 1950s, new attitudes began to emerge, reflected in realistic and existentialist theater. The 1960s saw experimentation with new theatrical forms, and after Franco’s death, independent groups emerged prominently.
High Comedy and Traditional Forms
The pre-war style of high comedy, exemplified by Jacinto Benavente and continued by figures like Luca de Tena, remained popular for a long time, achieving great success. Key characteristics included:
- Well-structured plots and careful execution.
- Frequent happy endings.
- A tone of superficial wit and entertainment.
- Occasional serious dramas posing moral problems to uphold traditional values.
Emergence of Humorous Comedy
A more interesting and original form of comedy arose, using humor based on fantasy and absurdity, often carrying a critical social undertone intended to make the viewer feel the absurdity of existence.
- Enrique Jardiel Poncela: Despite initial criticism, he adapted to public taste while maintaining originality. His work featured grotesque and ridiculous situations drawn from social life, presented with lively, ironic dialogues.
- Miguel Mihura: Associated with post-war renewal (though not fully recognized until the 1950s), his humor stemmed from the ridiculization of characters. He critiqued social conventions and impositions.
Mid-Century Shifts: Existentialism and Social Protest
Existential Theater
Reflecting the social realities of the moment, existential themes entered the stage, notably beginning with Antonio Buero Vallejo’s Historia de una escalera (1949). This trend evolved towards more overtly social theater during the 1950s.
Social Theater: Protest and Denunciation
This movement aimed to directly reflect and denounce the violence and injustice of post-war society. While often formally less innovative, its primary concern was the message.
- Emphasis on the psychological development of characters over time.
- Seeking audience identification with the characters’ experiences.
- Antonio Buero Vallejo: Explored the tragedy of the individual who must build their own destiny in search of truth, grappling with hopeful illusions lost or the need for forgetting.
- Alfonso Sastre: Moved from an avant-garde stage to viewing theater as an agent for social transformation. His tragic conception precluded Buero’s hopefulness, emphasizing instead a stance of social protest against injustice and alienation.
The New Theater and Independent Groups (Late 60s-70s)
Experimentation and Renewal
In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, a group of playwrights and companies rebelled against commercial theater. The situation improved significantly only with the arrival of democracy:
- Return of exiled authors.
- Eagerness for independent and experimental theater.
- Adoption of technical innovations.
- Influence from international theater, publications, and audiovisual media.
Key characteristics of this “New Theater” included:
- Internal destruction of the character, who often becomes a sign or symbol.
- Parabolic action and language, requiring the spectator to decipher meaning beyond the immediate scene.
- The stage being invaded by objects, audio, and video elements.
Within this movement, various forms emerged:
- Hermetic theater and anti-dramatism.
- Use of symbols to animate critical satire and humor.
- Avant-garde and experimental theater that questioned the very validity of the theatrical medium.
Independent Theater Groups
Often performing street theater, these independent groups represented a break with traditional ways of conceiving theater:
- Incorporated the viewer into the representation.
- Maintained a critical attitude towards society.
- Emphasized theater as more than just text, integrating music, mime, dance, and other elements.