Spanish Theater After the Civil War: From Censorship to Democracy
Overview of Spanish Theater After 1936
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) devastated the country’s intellectual landscape. During the subsequent Franco regime, literary production, including theater, suffered from strict censorship. This meant the absence of critical content, as plays were reviewed before their premiere.
In the 1940s, three works signaled a new stage: Camilo José Cela’s novel “The Family of Pascual Duarte,” Dámaso Alonso’s poetry collection “Sons of Wrath,” and Antonio Buero Vallejo’s play “Historia de una escalera” (“Story of a Staircase”).
Buero Vallejo and Alfonso Sastre inaugurated a realistic and socially committed theater. These authors, along with others in the 1950s and 60s, attempted to renew the Spanish stage under challenging circumstances. Censorship remained a significant obstacle, and many plays were prohibited.
Critic Francisco Ruiz Ramón identified two major phases in the dramatic production of this era: the theater of censorship and the theater of democracy.
Theater Under Censorship
Two primary trends emerged during this period:
1. Critical Theater
This movement had two main branches:
A) Realistic Theater: This committed, critical, and nonconformist style employed realism to explore essential human problems like freedom, injustice, and alienation. Notable figures include Lauro Olmo with “La camisa” (“The Shirt”), Antonio Gala with “Los verdes campos del Edén” (“The Green Fields of Eden”), and innovators like Buero Vallejo and Sastre.
B) Unrealistic Theater: This critical style addressed similar themes but with a different aesthetic. It utilized poetic language and emphasized extraverbal elements like staging, sound, visual resources, and gestures. Influenced by Bertolt Brecht, the Theater of the Absurd, and the “happening,” it rejected realism and incorporated symbolic or allegorical elements. Key figures include Francisco Nieva, Manuel Martínez Mediero, and Luis Matilla, along with independent groups like Los Goliardos, Tábano, La Cuadra, and Lebrijano.
2. Consumer Theater
This non-critical theater aimed to entertain the public with well-constructed plays. Set in luxurious environments, these works often focused on themes of love and adultery. Prominent authors included José María Pemán, Torcuato Luca de Tena, Miguel Mihura, and Enrique Jardiel Poncela in the 1940s, followed by Alfonso Paso, Ana Diosdado, Jaime de Armiñán, and Jaime Salom in the 1960s.
Theater in Democracy (1975-Present)
The democratic era saw a diversification of theatrical trends. Renowned authors like Buero Vallejo and Martín Recuerda continued to produce significant works, while Antonio Gala achieved widespread success. Authors who had previously worked in independent theater groups emerged, addressing contemporary social issues like drugs, violence, and unemployment. They revived older theatrical forms like farce and comedy of manners. Notable figures include José Sanchis Sinisterra and José Luis Alonso de Santos.
New authors also appeared, publishing their works in full democracy, reclaiming logical plot development, and simplifying language. Some emphasized the text and the role of the author over the stage director. Stable theater groups emerged from independent companies, such as Joglars, Els Comediants, Tricicle, and La Cubana.
The establishment of the National Drama Center and festivals like Almagro (classical Spanish theater), Mérida (Greco-Roman), Sitges (avant-garde), and the Madrid Autumn Festival further supported the development of Spanish theater in this period.