Spanish Theater Evolution: Post-War to Contemporary Stages

Spanish Theater: Post-War to Contemporary Eras

In Europe, including renovated theater (like the theater of the absurd), and in Spain, conventional theater flourished.

1. Post-War Theater: High Comedy

This theater depicts characters, often from the middle class, without significant economic problems. Topics include love, infidelity, and parent-child conflicts, all presented with a comedic tone. Notable playwrights include:

• José María Pemán
• Joaquín Calvo Sotelo

2. Renewed Humor Theater

This genre is based on the improbable and the absurd, often critically engaging with bourgeois conventions through its language. Key figures:

• Enrique Jardiel Poncela

  His works delve into timeless conflicts, often using characters as a stage for the absurd. His humor is intellectual and abstract. A notable work is You Have the Eyes of a Femme Fatale.

• Miguel Mihura

  He is the most significant figure in renewed humor theater. His works feature incredible humor, manifesting freedom and a maverick stance against social conventions. Notable work: Three Hats for a Cup.

3. Existentialist and Social Realism Theater

This movement includes playwrights who denounced injustice and explored themes of freedom.

• Antonio Buero Vallejo

  Buero Vallejo's works denounce injustice. His characters seek freedom, and his plays restore the cathartic function of Greek tragedy through symbolism in characters and settings.

  • First Stage: The Story of a Stairway (existential theme)
  • Second Stage: Today is a Holiday (social theme) and The Double Story of Doctor Valmy
  • Third Stage: The first formal renewal emerges with Secret Dialogue.

• Alfonso Sastre

  Sastre faced censorship issues, and his works did not always connect with the wider public. A key work is Death Squad, which denounces the conflict between authority and freedom, and war.

Other playwrights include Lauro Olmo and Antonio Gala, who denounced the lack of freedom and absurd morality.

4. Experimental and Renewal Theater

This theater is influenced by the avant-garde and incorporates the absurd. It uses spectacular language, theatrical, and audiovisual techniques. Key figures:

• Francisco Nieva
• Manuel Martínez

Fernando Arrabal is the creator of 'Panic Theater,' characterized by dreamlike surrealism and a critique of Valle-Inclán. A notable work is The Car Cemetery.

5. Current Theater Since 1975

This period marks a return to tradition and neorealism. Common topics include drugs, unemployment, and delinquency. Notable playwrights:

• Fermín Cabal
• Ernesto Caballero
• Francisco Melgares
• Alonso de Santos