Spanish Theater: Key Authors, Movements, and Works

Spanish Theater: Key Movements and Authors

The theatrical genre faces unique challenges, including censorship and business demands, often limited by public criticism. This overview highlights various theatrical styles, from those less concerned with commercial success to those driven by popular appeal. Key authors and their works are examined, spanning from the Generation of 98 to the Generation of 27.

The Generation of 98

Named after the disaster of 1898, this generation aimed to regenerate Spain. Their theater was marked by dense, conceptual ideas. Notable playwrights include Unamuno and Azorín, known for their philosophical and existentialist works, often performed for a select audience.

Modernist Theater

Initially successful in the early 20th century, Modernist theater gradually declined. Eduardo Marquina’s “In Flanders, the sun has set” exemplifies this style.

Comic Theater

Characterized by folk themes and customs, this theater uses a vulgar dialect and focuses on subjects close to the people. Notable figures include the Álvarez Quintero brothers and Arniches, who explored the “grotesque tragedy.”

The Vanguards

This movement sought to create innovative new works. Ramón Gómez de la Serna is a key figure, though his work did not achieve great commercial success.

Generation of 27

This generation, including Alejandro Casona, found success by connecting with the public. Miguel Mihura is also notable for his refined theatrical techniques.

Valle Inclán and the Grotesque

Valle Inclán was a major innovator, creating the grotesque form of theater. This style deforms classical values and conventions, as seen in works like Divine Lights of Bohemia.

Jacinto Benavente and Bourgeois Comedy

Benavente’s plays reflect “bourgeois comedy” and critique the customs of his time. He was highly successful, bringing to light issues such as violence, corruption, and rural life. He sought new ideas and renovated Spanish theater alongside Valle Inclán and García Lorca.

Federico García Lorca: Tragedy and Passion

Lorca’s work is marked by a deep malaise, exploring themes of fated passions and solitude. His plays draw from rural drama, classical Baroque, puppetry, and avant-garde traditions, using both verse and prose.

His early works, such as Maria Pineda and The Shoemaker’s Prodigious Wife, were written in verse. Later, he transitioned to poetic prose. Lorca’s language is popular yet poetic, using metaphors and emotive imagery.

His career can be divided into three stages: early experiments with popular and symbolist drama, a period of personal and aesthetic crisis, and a final stage focusing on the link between aesthetic rigor and popular appeal. In his later works, women often occupy central roles. Key works include:

• Blood Wedding: A story of passion leading to death.
• Yerma: The drama of a woman condemned to infertility.
• Doña Rosita the Spinster: A play about the useless waiting for love.
• The House of Bernarda Alba: A story of mourning and the conflict between authority and freedom.