Spanish Theater Evolution: From High Comedy to Lorca's Vanguard

Spanish Theater Evolution

In the late nineteenth century, the most prominent works were the so-called high comedy, while melodramas focused on the emotions of the viewer. Evolution of the drama: In the Restoration period, bourgeois comedy and farce evolved into tragedy, with a grotesque and modernist spirit, as well as symbolic poetic theater. The most serious attempts at renovation came from the Generation of '98 (Unamuno, Azorín, Valle-Inclán, initially) and the Generation of '27, including García Lorca.

A-Commercial Theater:
1. The comedy, also known as Bourgeois comedy, was highlighted by the author Benavente.
- Benavente broke with the style of Echegaray's tragedies, offering a theater with a greater focus on dialogue.
- The themes and characters of the plays corresponded to those of the middle and upper classes, exploring their conflicts (dissatisfied love, etc.). Outstanding works include Vested Interests and The Lady Loves Malquerida.
2. The poetic drama or verse - The rise of the modernist movement. It was a scene of pure escape, with no relation to reality, often using historical or legendary themes. Eduardo Marquina's The Daughters of the Cid and the Machado brothers' La Lola is Going to Ports are notable examples.
3. The comic theater. The objective was the entertainment of the public. Examples include the zarzuela and sketches, with Carlos Arniches reaching his peak.
- Carlos Arniches highlighted in his sketches and grotesque tragedies, addressing social ills, cultural backwardness in Spain, and caciquismo. These problems appear in works such as The Chief.
- Another genre of comic drama is the dry humor created by Muñoz Seca, characterized by puns and jokes. His most popular work is The Revenge of Don Mendo. The Álvarez Quintero brothers premiered a large number of works set in the Andalusian environment, known for their funny dialogue.

B-Innovation Theater / Playwrights Break: Valle-Inclán and García Lorca
Many authors tried to create a different kind of theater in recent years, but most failed. The drama of the authors of the '98: These authors (Unamuno, Azorín, Valle-Inclán, and Jacinto Grau) intended to create a theater that expressed their religious and social conflicts. It was a complex intellectual theater that tried to break with realistic forms of representation.
Valle-Inclán: His work is often grouped into three cycles: a) The myth: the action takes place in a mythical Galicia (Barbaric Comedies). b) The farce: works in a more ridiculous setting (Rose Gardens). c) The Esperpento: Luces de Bohemia. The Esperpento is an attempt to present Spanish reality in an exaggerated and burlesque way. Luces de Bohemia initiates the aesthetics of the Esperpento. It tells the journey of Max Estrella and his companion Latino Hispanis. Max, after being imprisoned and slapped, is betrayed by his guide.

Theater in the Generation of '27
- They tried to create a new audience by bringing theater to the people. The rejection of experimentation and limited public interest meant that most of their works were not staged. In conclusion, it was an attempt to educate a group through a different kind of stage performance. Alejandro Casona and García Lorca stand out.
Federico García Lorca: Lorca's work can be grouped into three groups: First plays: In 1920, he premiered The Curse of the Butterfly, about the love between a cockroach and a beautiful butterfly. The premiere was a failure, and Lorca soon forgot about it. Mariana Pineda followed. Vanguard Theater: impossible comedies or mysteries. In The Public, Lorca defines love as an instinct beyond control, manifested through homosexuality. The stages of fullness: In the 1930s, Lorca wrote plays that achieved commercial success: Blood Wedding, Yerma, and The House of Bernarda Alba. Blood Wedding and Yerma are two tragedies in which Lorca mixes prose and verse.