Mihura's Theatrical Vision: Humor, Surrealism, and Social Critique

Mihura's Theatrical Universe: Humor, Surprise, and Social Critique

The Creative Process: An Adventure in the Unexpected

For Mihura, writing is an adventure. He confronts reality, seeking its hidden face and its inherent wonder. He himself confesses: "I have no idea what will happen in my works." And naturally, when he writes, he often takes an unexpected turn. That unusual, surprising character is the only one to be truly portrayed in his theatrical situations.

The Power of Surprise in Mihura's Plays

The true value of literature, for Mihura, lies in the unknown—in never knowing what will happen, in catching himself off guard with something unexpected. This, he states, is the only thing he finds enjoyable in his profession. He believes that if his theater possesses any quality, it is due to these surprises that guide him, the same ones that captivate the audience. These surprises are always spontaneous, authentic, real, possible, and never calculated.

Key Thematic Elements: Melancholy and Humor

Mihura's treatment of profound themes like melancholy, memory, and nostalgia transforms them into poetry, tenderness, and pity, all skillfully wrapped in his distinctive humor.

Social Commentary Through Absurdist Drama

Mihura's plays often serve as a sharp critique of societal norms. For instance, one work presents a summary:

• A young employee arrives at a small provincial hotel the night before his wedding to a local girl.
• Mihura temporarily rescues the individual from alienation, thus exposing, with even greater crudeness if possible, society's phagocytic power.

Critique of Average Spanish Society

Through his narratives, Mihura particularly criticizes the failures of various aspects of average Spanish society, including:

• Provincial life and its limitations.
• Marriage as the sole escape for women.
• The conventional concept of men and women regarding marriage.
• Opportunism and the notion that everything is based on 'easy' exploitation of others' feelings.

It all unfolds unexpectedly, seemingly absurd, yet Mihura suggests it is absurd precisely because it reflects the very cause of the constraints that all individuals suffer.

Characters and Their Rebellion

In one notable play, Dionisio and Paula, caught amidst an order based on prejudice and a morality grounded in appearances, become victims of duty—a duty absurdly imposed upon them through even more absurd situations. Both then attempt to rebel, seeking a new reality filled with imaginary, magical illusions.

The Inevitable Capitulation and Key Characters

Ultimately, however, they will capitulate. Prominent characters include:

• Named Characters: Dionisio, Don Sacramento, Don Rosario, Paula, Budy.
• Allegorical Characters: The Odious Lord, Hunter Cunning, Romantic Love.

Mihura's Pessimistic Outlook

Mihura is not optimistic about what we now call 'the message.' In his world, those he calls "stupid" can live, preferring the cool, customary regularity over the wonderful spontaneity of life.

Conventional Structure, Unconventional Content

Despite his unconventional themes and approach to character, Mihura's theater, surprisingly, is often based on a conventional dramatic structure.