Spanish Theater and Post-War Novel: A Literary Overview
Spanish Street Theater (1970s)
In the late 1970s, a new wave of Spanish theater emerged, moving beyond traditional forms and venues. This period saw a surge in non-commercial and non-professional theater groups. The focus shifted from literary text to spectacle, with allegorical, abstract, and symbolic language. Audience interaction became a key element, transforming the spectator into a participating character.
Key Groups
- Joglars: This Catalan group, founded by a pioneer of emerging theater, developed shows from a single action, word, or gesture.
- Els Comediants: This collective of actors, musicians, and artists aimed to revive the festive roots of theater, prioritizing audience engagement and embracing diverse forms of expression.
- Dagoll Dagom: This Catalan group approached theater with a strong poetic sensibility, emphasizing staging and music.
- Other notable groups include Tricicle and La Fura dels Baus.
Spanish Post-War Novel (1940s)
Following the Spanish Civil War, the country’s borders were closed to new European literary trends. The novel became a dominant genre.
Realism Restored
Two main groups of novelists emerged, categorized as:
- Traditional Realists: These authors adhered to the established rules of 19th-century realism, following the style of Benito Pérez Galdós, without significant thematic or technical innovation.
- Innovative Realists: This group departed from strict realism, adopting a tone of existential despair. Working under censorship, they depicted the country’s misery and discomfort through violent and scatological themes, creating a sense of distress and alarm in their readers.
Alarmist Novelists
- Camilo José Cela: His novel The Family of Pascual Duarte launched his career, followed by The Hive, a depiction of post-war Madrid. His later works transcended the alarmist style, earning him the Nobel Prize.
- Carmen Laforet: Her novel Nothing, winner of the first Premio Nadal, portrays a young woman’s arrival in Barcelona and personal growth.
- Miguel Delibes: His work, beginning with The Shade of the Cypress Is Long, evolved into innovative narrative forms.
- Gonzalo Torrente Ballester: Known for novels like The Joys and Shadows and Don Juan, he blended traditional and experimental styles.
Social Realism (1950s)
A shift towards social realism emerged in the 1950s, characterized by:
- Open Structure: A narrative style that broke with traditional constraints of time and space.
- Collective Protagonist: A group of characters forming an undefined whole.
- Realistic Depiction: A focus on portraying reality objectively.
- Innovative Narrative Techniques: Influenced by foreign cinema (Italian neorealism, American novels).
Trends within Social Realism
- Objectivism/Neorealism: The novelist presents reality objectively, leaving interpretation to the reader. Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio’s Jarama exemplifies this style. Other authors include Ignacio Aldecoa, Ana María Matute, Carmen Martín Gaite, and Juan Marsé.
- Critical Realism: The novelist aims to provoke social conscience and denounce injustice. Examples include Juan Goytisolo’s Duel in the Paradise and José Manuel Caballero Bonald’s Two Days of September.
Experimental Novel (1960s)
In the 1960s, Spanish authors moved beyond social realism, embracing experimental forms that prioritized formal aspects:
- Nonlinear narrative
- Narrative alternation
- Interior monologue
- Unconventional punctuation
- Incorporation of technical language
- Focus on the individual’s struggle against society
Tiempo de silencio by Luis Martín Santos marked a turning point. Miguel Delibes (Five Hours with Mario, Rats) and Camilo José Cela (San Camilo 1936) also adopted experimental styles. Juan Goytisolo (Signs of Identity), Juan Benet (Return to the Region), and Juan Marsé (Late Evenings with Teresa) were key figures in this movement.
Post-War Spanish Theater
Francisco Nieva:
His theater explored new forms of representation, often categorized as farce, calamity, and angry theater.
Fernando Fernán Gómez:
While his early work, Bicycles Are for Summer, wasn’t highly innovative, it reflected the vitality of post-war Spanish literature.
José Sanchís Sinisterra:
Viewed theater as an open field for self-reflection and exploring the relationship between individuals and society (e.g., Ay, Carmela).
José Luis Alonso de Santos:
His works used humor to address contemporary issues (e.g., Get Off the Moor).