Galician Theater in the 20th Century: Trends, Authors, and Works

The Galician Theater in the 20th Century: Trends, Authors, and Works

A) Theater Before the Civil War (1882–1936)

The first theatrical debut in Galician dates back to the work of Antonio Mª de la Iglesia in early 1882. In the 20th century, until the era of the *Irmandades da Fala* (Brotherhoods of the Galician Language), the few existing writings show an almost exclusively rural, highly *costumbrista* (local customs) ambiance. This was village theater, often dealing with local topics, written in verse, which sought comic contrast between the Galician peasants and the *señoritos* (gentry).

The number and quality of authors and works increased significantly from 1916, thanks to the orientation provided by the *Irmandades da Fala*. Key works of this period include:

• O Mariscal by Ramón Vilar Ponte.
• Santinha by Xesús San Luís Dantas.

The *Xeración Nós* (Generation Nós) did not prioritize theater as much as the Brotherhoods, but three of its main authors did participate in European theatrical currents:

• Castelao: With Os nenos non deben de caer (Children Should Not Fall).
• Otero Pedrayo: With O muiñeiro (The Miller).
• Vicente Risco: With O bufón d'El Rei (The King's Jester).

The work of the Seminar of Galician Studies highlights the contribution of Rafael Dieste with the play A fiestra valdeira (The Empty Window), which is the best-known and most valued work of the time.

B) Theater in Emigration and Exile

Popular Theater

Popular theater, developed by emigrants starting in the 1930s, appealed to the sense of Galician pride to prevent cultural dislocation. The chief representative was Manuel Buxán Varela, who created the “Compañía Portuguesa Maruxa Villanueva” and staged many of his works, such as A xustiza dun mariñeiro (The Justice of a Sailor) and O ferreiro de Santa (The Smith of Santa).

Cult Drama

Cult drama was created by those exiled by the Franco regime (*Franquismo*), incorporating modern techniques and more intellectual content. The most representative work is A vella (The Old Woman), which combines traditional elements with others of a more refined, expressionistic edge. Other leading authors included:

• Luis Seoane: With A soldadeira (The Soldadeira).
• Eduardo Blanco Amor: With Farsas con monicreques (Farces with Puppets) and Cantar de ciegos (Song of the Blind).

C) Theater in Post-War Francoism

In the 1940s and 1950s, the dictatorship promoted folk theater, much of which unfortunately ridiculed Galicians. Some works that were not staged due to censorship included O vento chouído (The Hushed Wind) by Xosé Franco Grande and Auto do mariñeiro (Auto for the Innkeeper) by Manuel María.

Some authors wrote works knowing that they could not be staged at the time due to censorship. One of the most representative authors of this period is Álvaro Cunqueiro, with his play O incerto señor Don Hamlet (The Uncertain Lord Don Hamlet).

In the final years of Francoism and the beginning of democracy, it is necessary to highlight the importance of the Rivadavia Group, which organized performances and published texts. Many independent groups attempted to take theater out of official venues and bring it directly to the people.