Modern Spanish Theatre: 1940 to Contemporary Times

Spanish Theatre: 1940 to Present Day

Theatre in Exile

Key playwrights writing outside of Spain during this period include:

• Max Aub
• Alejandro Casona

The 1940s: Evasion and Humor

The theatre of humor during this decade was notably innovative. Miguel Mihura's Three Top Hats is a comedy satirizing the routine and mediocrity of the provincial bourgeoisie and the equally miserable vaudeville life.

The 1950s: Existential and Social Drama

Realistic theatre attempted to renew the Spanish stage and demonstrate opposition to the dictatorship. Works raised issues such as social injustice, exploitation, the lives of the middle and lower classes, and the human condition of the downtrodden and marginalized.

Prominent authors include:

• Alfonso Sastre
• Lauro Olmo
• Antonio Buero Vallejo, whose work evolved through distinct stages:
  • Existential Stage
  • Social Theatre (addressing societal injustices)
  • Stage of Innovation

His later works include Música cercana.

The 1960s and 1970s: Formal Renewal

Within commercial theatre, comedies followed Mihura's experimentation. Similar to trends in narrative and poetry, new authors considered social realism complete and sought new proposals characterized by aesthetics opposing the 'realistic'. However, these works often retained social criticism. Many faced difficulties in being staged due to censorship or because their formal audacity did not find an easy response from the public. This era saw the rise of terms like 'underground theatre', 'theatre of silence', and 'avant-garde theatre'. The phenomenon of independent theatre is also notable in the scene during the last years of Franco's regime.

Theatre Since 1975

After the dictatorship ended and censorship was removed, it seemed a golden age for theatre might begin. Paradoxically, the crisis in Spanish theatre has become more apparent in recent years. Francisco Nieva is arguably one of the most important experimental dramatists of the second half of the century. Although writing plays since the fifties, his work was not regularly staged until after Franco's death.

Other notable figures and works from the post-Franco era include:

• José Luis Alonso de Santos: Bajarse al moro (1985)
• Fernando Fernán Gómez: Las bicicletas son para el verano
• Paloma Pedrero: Besos de lobo