Catalan Theater Revival: Post-War to 1970s Transformations

Catalan Theater Revival: Post-War to 1970s

The Post-War Resurgence (1946-1950s)

After the Civil War, Catalan-language drama was banned from professional stages until the end of World War II. Since 1946, Catalan theater resumed its activity, nurturing traditional patterns and forms. Josep Maria de Sagarra sought to address the moral nature of contemporary conflicts in Galatea (1948). However, Sagarra's proposed renewal was dismissed by critics and audiences, forcing him to return to earlier dramatic forms, including poems and comedies of manners.

New Platforms and Influences (Late 1950s - Early 1960s)

Throughout the second half of the 1950s and the first half of the 1960s, renewal emerged from various platforms, both strictly professional and commercial. This occurred in two main ways:

• Literary Contributions: Firstly, through theatrical texts and contributions from writers like Josep Palau.
• Established Platforms: Secondly, platforms such as the Agrupació Dramàtica de Barcelona (ADB) and l'Escola d'Art Dramàtic Adrià Gual (EADAG) were established.

The ADB was created with the goal of reconnecting Catalan theater with the dominant currents of contemporary European literature. It fostered the discovery of authors like:

• Joan Oliver
• Salvador Espriu
• Joan Brossa
• Manuel de Pedrolo
• Baltasar Porcel

The EADAG, in turn, promoted a new conception of professional ethics and aesthetics, determined by an affinity with Brecht and epic theater, which Salvat had imported from Germany.

Another body that helped renovate the theater was the creation of the Josep Maria de Sagarra Prize, which served as a platform for young playwrights. From an aesthetic point of view, there was widespread interest among authors in assimilating currents and prevailing trends in American and European theater.

Shifting Paradigms (Late 1960s - 1970s)

In the late 1960s, significant changes occurred in the conception of the theatrical phenomenon. There was a prominence of directors at the expense of authors, and of body expression and image at the expense of the word. This was accompanied by an expansion of technical working groups and a breakdown of boundaries between stage and screen. It was the era of muntatges (productions).

A series of groups became more directly involved in the theatrical scene's renewal, such as:

• Els Joglars
• Comediants
• Dagoll-Dagom

In 1976, the Teatre Lliure (Free Theater) also began its activities, formed by a cooperative group of professionals who came from various independent theater groups. It developed a policy based on a universal theatrical repertory.

Valencian Theater Development

The development of Valencian theater has been very directly linked to the intervention of the brothers Rudolf and Josep Lluís Sirera. All of them were directly involved in the Manifesto of the Arts in Valencia, published in the Levante newspaper on February 5, 1974. This manifesto claimed the need for a modern theater that would interpret its historical tradition, incorporate classic and contemporary universal authors, standardize language, and obtain broad social and economic support.

Another prominent Valencian playwright is Manuel Molina. Since 1978, he began publishing some of the works he had written for the independent theater group, Teatre Club 49.