Spanish Theater After 1936: From Realism to the Absurd
The Spanish Theater Post-1936
Reaction Against Realism (Early 20th Century)
Since 1900, there had been a reaction against realistic theater, seeking to represent reality as an illusion. This reaction manifested in:
- Symbolist Theater
- Expressionist Theater
- Surrealist Theater
Between the wars (1919-1939), other forms of surpassing scenic realism emerged, including:
- Antonin Artaud’s “Theater of Cruelty”
- Bertolt Brecht’s “Epic Theater”
- Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus’ “Theater of the Absurd”
- Experimental Theater
Post-Civil War Drama
After the Spanish Civil War, a sense of stagnation dominated the drama scene. Playwrights like Valle-Inclán and Federico García Lorca were either rejected or in exile, while the victors were exalted.
Bourgeois Comedy of Manners
Following the war, bourgeois comedy of manners, with its elegant tone and themes of escapism, became prevalent. These comedies, often set in opulent rooms and focused on love and family, offered a sense of happiness and lightheartedness to the audience.
Renewal of Comic Theater
Some authors attempted to renew comic theater. Enrique Jardiel Poncela, for example, introduced mystery and absurdity into his situations and characters, often playing on the bourgeois master/servant dynamic. His notable works include Four Hearts with Brake and Reverse and Eloísa is Under an Almond Tree.
Miguel Mihura and the Theater of the Absurd
Miguel Mihura, with his play Three Hats, stands out in this trend. Written before the Civil War but not released until two decades later due to fear of censorship, it became a pioneering work of the Theater of the Absurd. Mihura also became a prominent figure in Spanish humor through more conventional works that catered to the bourgeois public and depicted everyday life, such as Maribel and the Strange Family and Peaches.
Mihura also explored the comedy of manners, satirizing the love lives and social behaviors of the Spanish bourgeoisie in plays like Ninette and a Man from Murcia and Ninette, Paris Fashions.
However, his most significant work remains Three Hats (1952). It reveals his pessimism and disillusionment through dialogues that subtly address the impossibility of love, communication, and freedom. Mihura unveils aspects of human life that expose the absurdity of existence and the limitations of societal norms. His language is also innovative, characterized by irrational dialogue.
Theater in the 1950s and 1960s
In the 1950s and especially the 1960s, commercial theater aligned with public tastes, addressing current affairs with a critical lens, strong dramatic construction, and engaging dialogue. Playwrights like Alfonso Paso, Juan José Alonso Millán, and Antonio Gala gained prominence during this period.
Antonio Buero Vallejo and Social Criticism
The release of Buero Vallejo’s Historia de una escalera (1946), alongside Alfonso Sastre’s Squad to Death and the aforementioned Three Hats, signaled the potential for theater to reflect contemporary issues with open criticism.
Buero Vallejo’s works explore universal themes, advocating for freedom, truth, justice, and solidarity through allegorical and symbolic devices. He employed tragedy to evoke catharsis in the audience. Spatial dimensions are central to his work. Among his notable techniques is the “immersion effect,” where characters experience “burning darkness” and blindness.
His works can be categorized into periods:
- From Historia de una escalera (1946) to The Cards Face Down (1957): Features works like The Burning Darkness, which combine traditional realist aesthetics with symbolic elements.
- From A Dreamer for a People (1958) to The Skylight (1967): Includes historical dramas based on real events and figures, such as The Girls.
- From The Dual History of Doctor Valmy (1970) to Music Close Up (1989): Social and political content becomes more explicit and direct. These works align with the experimental trends of the 1970s.
Buero’s theater aims to morally transform human beings, presenting ethical and social dramas. The cathartic, purifying effect lies implicitly within his work. It is not didactic; the underlying message remains in the background, allowing the viewer to discover it independently. This approach also helped him navigate censorship during the Franco regime.
Social Realism and Alfonso Sastre
Another distinct line of development was social theater. From the mid-1950s, a trend emerged that had been hinted at in Buero’s early work: protest and social criticism. The foremost representative of this trend was Alfonso Sastre, who championed social realism in drama.
The social realism of the 1960s denounced poverty and exploitation. Notable works include The Elm’s Shirt and The Condemnation of the Misery in the Wild, while The Bridge of San Jose by Martín Recuerda recalls the harsh realities of the time.
Experimental Theater in the 1960s
In the 1960s, another line of experimental theater developed, influenced by the Theater of the Absurd (Beckett and Ionesco) and the Theater of Cruelty (Artaud). Realism was abandoned in favor of new approaches, including symbolism, allegory, and cruelty. Treatments ranged from cabaret-style performances to dreamlike sequences, demanding greater effort from the audience to decipher the hidden messages. Set design and nonverbal communication became prominent resources. This theater served as a form of protest against the dictatorship.
Fernando Arrabal and Francisco Nieva
Fernando Arrabal stands out with his surreal dramas, featuring eccentric characters and ludicrous situations. His work often falls under the umbrella of “Panic Theater,” a provocative style characterized by raw confusion and terror. Picnic (1959) is a prime example.
Francisco Nieva’s theater addresses the theme of societal repression and its degrading effects on individuals. He advocates for transgression, often through sexual liberation. His language is a blend of absurdity, expressionism, and baroque elements, reminiscent of Valle-Inclán. The Hot Lead Coach is among his notable works.
Independent Theater in the Late 1960s and 1970s
During the late 1960s and 1970s, a period of intense repression, independent theater groups emerged and flourished. Operating outside of mainstream venues, they sought to overcome the limitations of the commercial theater industry and public inertia. They introduced innovative set designs and staging techniques, revitalizing the theatrical landscape.
The emergence and expansion of these independent groups marked a significant shift in Spanish theater, fostering creativity and resistance during a challenging era.