Evolution of Spanish Postwar Theater and Avant-Garde Movements

Postwar Theater

Postwar theater was characterized by an escapist approach, aiming to entertain audiences while conveying ideology through the denial of prewar contributions. Works often extolled the values of the victors, alongside the programming of classical authors. The state and the church maintained a tight grip on new works and repertoire, leading to widespread self-censorship.

Bourgeois Comedy

The bourgeois comedy is defined by perfect structural construction, though often lacking in depth, featuring doses of humor, tenderness, and kindness. Notable works include:

• Benavente: The Husband of Bronze
• Rubio: The Blindfold

Theater of Humor

This style distanced itself from immediate reality:

• Jardiel Poncela: Incorporates the improbable, madness, and mystery (e.g., Eloisa is Under an Almond Tree).
• Mihura: Idealizes life by humanizing characters, emphasizing the triumph of goodness and tenderness (e.g., Three Top Hats).

Theater-in-Exile

Developed primarily in Mexico and Argentina, this movement presented works distinct from those cultivated in Spain, often incorporating cutting-edge developments:

• Alberti: The Scarecrow
• Aub: San Juan
• Casona: The Lady of the Dawn

Avant-Garde

These works are heirs to the theater of the absurd and the theater of cruelty, representing original drama.

Fernando Arrabal

His "Panic Theater" is characterized by confusion, humor, terror, randomness, euphoria, and surrealist linguistic elements. Notable work: The Automobile Graveyard.

Francisco Nieva

Focuses on societal repression, which displeases humans by preventing the development of their deepest needs. He advocates for transgression, often highlighting the need for sexual liberation. Notable work: Hair Storm.

Symbolists

New authors grouped in the "New Theater" movement attempt to address universal themes. This avant-garde style is marked by pessimism and animal symbolism:

• Ruibal: The Machine-Asking, This Pontifical
• Riaza: Portrait of a Lady with Puppy
• Mediero: The Last Chicken

Heirs of Bourgeois Comedy

A static form of theater that repeats past patterns, featuring characters removed from the social circumstances of the time. Key figures include Salom, Ermine, and Paso.

Latest Dramas

Characterized by a moderate realist aesthetic and formal renewal. Key figures include Santos and Cabal.