Spanish Narrative and Theater: 1940s to Present

Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Music

Narrative of the 1990s

There are different genres:

  • Adventure Novels: Mixing history with intrigue. Examples include Arturo Pérez Reverte’s “The Flanders Panel,” “The Fencing Master,” and “Captain Alatriste.”
  • Thriller: Juan Madrid’s “Days Were Numbered” stands out.
  • Erotic Fiction: Resurfaced in 1989 with Almudena Grandes’ “The Ages of Lulu,” a Vertical Smile award winner.
  • Experimental Fiction: The most used genre in recent years, with authors such as J. Luis Loudero (“Games of the Later Age”), Javier Marías (“Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me”), Julio Llamazares (“Wolf Moon” and “Yellow Rain”), and Carmen Martín Gaite (“Between Curtains”).

Theater After 1936: The Postwar Theater Scene

In the 1940s, old public theaters of the Phalanx gave rise to the National Theater. This included:

  • The National Theater Mary Warrior, dedicated to raising awareness of contemporary writers.
  • The Spanish National Theater, which announced classical authors.

These were controlled by the Ministry of Education and Tourist Information. In the mid-fifties, the National Theater and Testing Chamber, and university theaters (TEU) were established. Around the 1980s, the National Drama Center (Contemporary) was established. The classical theater and national trends took center stage.

Theater of the 1940s

There was strong censorship, making the theater somewhat confusing, and new trends emerged:

  1. Theater celebrating the glories of the national victory, with a strong religious component. Author: J.M. Pemán (“The Divine Impatience” and “Cisneros”).
  2. Continuation of the previous theater: a drama following the line of high comedy, with friendly criticism of customs and the defense of traditional values. Author: Luca de Tena, (“Where Are You Going, Alfonso XIII?”).
  3. Humorous theater: cultivated humor as a means of escape. Authors: Jardiel Poncela (“Eloise Is Beneath an Almond Tree”) and Miguel Mihura (“Three Top Hats”).
  4. Existentialist drama: a maverick, critical drama that had little success and was persecuted by censorship. Authors: Buero Vallejo (“Story of a Staircase”) and Alfonso Sastre (“Squadron Toward Death”).

Theater of the 1950s

Halfway through the decade, a stream of social theater of protest and complaint began, benefiting from the relaxation of censorship. The pioneers were Buero Vallejo and Sastre (“Death in the Neighborhood”). Also noteworthy is Martín’s work, “The Arrecogías of the Pious of Sª. Mª. Egipciaca.” The theme of this drama is dehumanized bureaucracy, the bondage of the worker, and the anguish of the opponents.

Theater of the 1960s and 1970s

In the 1960s, realistic social drama continued to grow, but there were new innovations. Most of these authors were marginalized, leading to what is known as a “crowded theater.” Authors include Luis Riaza, Francisco Nieva, and Fernando Arrabal. Arrabal’s work, “Hey, Patria, My Love,” divides his plays into two groups: “Sham and Calamity” and “Furious Theater” (“Damn Coronados and Their Children”).

From the 1970s onward, independent theater groups became the real innovators, with avant-garde theater characterized by symbolic or allegorical approaches. The drama becomes a parable, using the grotesque and the awesome. All aspects of theater are coordinated (building, staging, and assembly). Main groups include:

  • Galiandos and Horsefly (in Madrid)
  • The Block (in Andalusia)
  • Coven (Bilbao)
  • The Cuban Jaglars Els
  • The Fury of Baus
  • Els Comediants
  • Teatre Liuvre (in Catalonia)

Theater of the Last 20 Years

It has transitioned from an author’s theater to a director’s theater. Classical theater, mainly Spanish, has become prominent, and there is a dispersion of trends. There’s adaptation to new social and cultural norms (Buero Vallejo, Sastre, Fog, and Arrabal), as well as traditional comedy or bourgeois theater (Jaime Calvo Sotelo or Solom). New authors emerged with the first promotion of democracy (J.L. Alonso de Santos, Fermín Cabal), and a parallel or alternative theater, heir to independent theaters, appeared, such as Triangle or Pradilla, and theater dance.