Spanish Theater Evolution: Postwar to Experimentation

Spanish Theater from 1939 to the Present

Since 1939, the theater from the postwar period to the present has existed within a commercial scene. For a long time, the majority of productions lacked any social or political approach, serving the sole purpose of entertaining the public. However, some experimental cases emerged with artistic, cultural, and political intent.

Theater of the 40s and 50s

During these years, the success obtained by Jacinto Benavente (Nobel Prize in 1923) before the war continued. Many conventional comic plays were remarkably successful, though they lacked innovation. Other more innovative works sought to promote laughter through nonsensical and illogical situations. In this second category, the notable author Miguel Mihura stands out for Tres sombreros de copa (Three Top Hats). Written in 1932 but premiered in 1952, it is one of the key pieces of contemporary theater. Described as avant-garde, it combines bitter humor with tenderness to highlight the contrast between an ordinary, accommodative life and one full of freedom and imagination. It is notable for its many breakdowns in logical and verbal comedy.

Mihura sought success in conventional theaters through commercial channels to make a living from his work; thus, he continued the line of Tres sombreros de copa with theater that satisfied the tastes of employers and spectators. Another important author was Enrique Jardiel Poncela, whose comedies featured unlikely situations unraveled with great wit, such as Eloísa está debajo de un almendro.

The Rise of Social and Existential Drama

The 1949 premiere of Historia de una escalera by Antonio Buero Vallejo marked a break with traditional theater. It began a period of postwar drama that was maverick, focusing on existential themes such as loneliness, failure, anxiety, and human beings in particular circumstances. This eventually evolved into social theater with works like Las Meninas and El concierto de San Ovidio.

Social drama, much like in the novel or poetry of the time, served as a means of compromise, complaint, and protest. Playwrights aimed to disturb the public to help transform reality. In addition to Buero Vallejo, the most representative authors include:

• Alfonso Sastre: Known for Escuadra hacia la muerte and La mordaza.
• Lauro Olmo: Achieved one of the biggest hits of the time with La camisa.

Despite overwhelming responses, most works of this kind could not premiere due to being censored and banned, or because they lacked the support of theater managers.

Theater from the 60s: Innovation and Experimentation

Alongside the continuation of social drama, we witness a renewed flow of grammar. Thus arises "experimental theater," which breaks all conventions and exists on the fringes of former productions. Inspired by foreign theatrical trends, these authors consider the performance a "complete show." They give as much or more importance to the staging as to the text, using extra-linguistic elements from other techniques such as puppet shows and the circus. Its members do not accept the rules of commercial theater; they are often independent theater groups that engage in collective creations with ongoing work of renewal and research.