Spanish Social Realism and Experimental Theater: A Mid-20th Century Overview

Spanish Social Realism and Experimental Theater

Post-War Theater of Social Engagement

The release of "Historia de una escalera" (Story of a Staircase) in 1949 marked the beginning of a prominent theatrical movement in 1950s Spain: realistic drama focused on political engagement and social commentary. Key figures in this movement were Antonio Buero Vallejo and Alfonso Sastre.

Sastre viewed theater as a tool for transforming the unjust world. He advocated for a "theater of emergency," prioritizing political messaging over artistic considerations. His most important work is "Escuadra hacia la muerte" (Squad to Death).

Buero Vallejo, while also critical of societal injustices, believed in working within the constraints of censorship to bring his works to the stage. He used historical characters and situations to convey his messages about contemporary issues. In "Historia de una escalera," he depicts the stagnant lives of families in a Madrid tenement building over 30 years.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, Buero Vallejo wrote historical plays that reflected on the present. Works from this period include "La doble vida del doctor Valmy" (The Double Life of Doctor Valmy) and "El tragaluz" (The Skylight). The latter features two scientists from the future who reconstruct the lives of a Spanish family during the post-war era.

Later works by Buero Vallejo include "La llegada de los dioses" (The Arrival of the Gods) and "Fundación" (Foundation). In "La detonación" (The Detonation), he portrays the final moments of writer Mariano José de Larra before his suicide. Buero Vallejo's prolific output solidified his position as a leading playwright of the latter half of the 20th century.

1960s: Realism and Bourgeois Comedy

Social realist drama continued into the 1960s. Alongside it, a new bourgeois comedy emerged, offering escapism and focusing on themes like happiness and romantic love. This lighter form of theater, exemplified by playwrights like Alfonso Paso and Juan José Alonso Millán, often lacked depth and repeated familiar patterns.

Experimental Theater from 1970

Starting in 1970, a wave of experimental theater emerged, rejecting realism in favor of symbolic and avant-garde approaches. This theater of protest and denunciation used grotesque elements, dreams, and hallucinations to critique society.

Fernando Arrabal's "panic theater" employed confusion, humor, terror, and euphoria, incorporating surreal elements into the language. His works, such as "Pic-nic" and "El cementerio de automóviles" (The Automobile Graveyard), explored themes of religion, politics, sexuality, love, and death.

Francisco Nieva's work connected with the theater of the absurd, sharing Arrabal's belief in a liberating and cathartic drama. Nieva's plays, including "Pelo de tormenta" (Storm Hair) and "Malditas sean Coronada y sus hijas" (Cursed Be Coronada and Her Daughters), examined the relationship between individuals and repressive societies.