Spanish Theater Before the Civil War: Commercial vs. Renewal
Theater Prior to the Civil War
The renovation was triumphing in narrative, but Spanish poetry did not come with equal force to the drama. They differ dramatically twofold: the mall with the sole purpose of entertaining the public, and the renewal, with far fewer followers.
Commercial Theater
Designed to meet the demand for public entertainment by the bourgeois of the time. It is a drama of manners, comic or melodramatic, it avoids the ideological conflicts and the trend continues with traditional dramatic. There are three current bourgeois comedy or comedy show:
- Uses realistic dialogue and environments.
- Its author is more representative: Jacinto Benavente, whose works are set in scenes of high society who criticize his vices and customs, but in a subtle and gentle way.
- His most important works are:
- The Nest of Others: Reflects the oppression and discrimination against married women in the society of the time.
- Vested Interests: His most representative work, which described the struggle between private interests and ideals.
- The Unloved.
Theater Poetic Verse
Associated with Modernism and Francisco Eduardo Marquina Villaespesa. Also noteworthy are Manuel and Antonio Machado, who collaborated to write The Lola is Leaving the Port
Theater Comedy
It is based on the representation of customs and popular types in the manner of sketches. The most representative are: Carlos Arniches (Miss Trevélez), the Álvarez Quintero brothers (Cain and Las Malvaloca) and Pedro Muñoz Seca (Don Mendo’s Revenge, funny parody of historical dramas neorromáticos), which creates a new genre: The Astrakhan.
Theater Renovator
It tried several times to renew the theater, by authors such as Unamuno, Azorín especially Valle-Inclán.
Valle-Inclán
- Poetic Theatre
- Theatre countryside and mythical barbarian Divine Comedies words.
- Farces: The Love of the King and Queen Castiza
- Esperpentos: Full account of his dramatic contribution. The absurdity is the grotesque deformation of characters, situations and environments, so as to destroy the reality. Major works: Luces de Bohemia, Mardi Gras.
Federico García Lorca
The drama of Lorca is comparable to the value of his poetry. He wrote his most famous works from 1930
Dramatic creation begins in his youth, which include The Curse of the Butterfly and Doña Rosita the Spinster and the Language of Flowers.
- Puppet farce created to Don Cristóba The Puppet ly for actors The Shoemaker’s Prodigious.
- Works of a more surreal were called theater impossible This move highlights five years and the public.
The three most important works of Lorca’s theater is inspired by the countryside and on the mastery of passions and destiny: Blood Wedding, The House of Bernarda Alba The style is still in line with style and theme of his poetry.
Enrique Jardiel Poncela
Its main objective was to renew the obsolete theater scene of the time, bringing new ways to entertain the public.
His major works written before the Civil War are You Got Eyes of Femme Fatale and Four Hearts with Brake and Reverse. After the Civil War premiered Heloise is Under an Almond Tree.
Alejandro Casona
The Civil War forced him into exile, but continued writing abroad. wrote works such as Free Boat Fisherman, Standing Trees Die and The Lady of the Dawn.