Spanish Theater Pre-1939: Valle-Inclán & Lorca's Legacy

Spanish Theater Before 1939

Introduction: Theater in Spain before 1939 was largely aimed at commercial purposes, primarily guided by the tastes of entrepreneurs, the aristocracy, and the bourgeoisie. This mainstream theater often showed strong resistance to innovation. Two main trends can be distinguished during this period:

Mainstream Commercial Theater

This was the dominant theatrical form, often following conventions established in the second half of the 19th century. Key aspects included:

• Bourgeois Comedy: Its subject matter typically focused on the societal norms, customs, and vices of the middle and upper classes.
• Historical-Poetic Theater in Verse: This genre often praised noble ideas, patriotism, and significant figures or events from Spanish history, written in a formal, poetic style.
• Modernist Literary Influences: Some plays reflected modernist sensibilities, particularly in their depiction of environments and characters representative of specific regions like Andalusia and Madrid.

Innovative Theatrical Movements

Alongside commercial theater, a more innovative trend emerged, driven by authors who sought to renew dramatic forms and themes. Prominent figures in this movement included Miguel de Unamuno and, most notably, Ramón del Valle-Inclán.

Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (1866-1936)

Ramón María del Valle-Inclán was a law student from a modest background. He embarked on an American adventure in 1892, returning the following year. His ideological position evolved from conservative ideas to revolutionary leftist ideals. He vigorously attacked political institutions and cultivated all literary genres: poetry, novels, and drama, always seeking aesthetic renovation. He particularly stood out in theater for his innovative and highly expressive style. His theatrical work shows a gradual transition and can be classified into three main stages:

Valle-Inclán's Theatrical Evolution

1. Early Modernist Stage: This period is characterized by a series of farces in verse that criticized the traditional values of contemporary Spanish society.
2. Mythical Theater Cycle: These works present elemental human passions such as sex, greed, and death. Notable examples include Comedias bárbaras and Divinas palabras.
3. The Esperpento: Grotesque Realism: This is Valle-Inclán's most characteristic and innovative dramatic form. The Esperpento aimed to show the tragic sense of Spanish life through a systematic deformation of reality, using resources such as parody, caricature, and sharp contrasts to create a grotesque and critical vision.

Notable Esperpento Works by Valle-Inclán

• Luces de bohemia (Bohemian Lights): Chronicles the final night and journey of the aging poet Max Estrella and his companion Don Latino de Hispalis through Madrid, criticizing the politics, society, and culture of the time.
• Martes de Carnaval (Carnival Tuesday): A trilogy consisting of Las galas del difunto (The Deceased's Finery), Los cuernos de don Friolera (The Horns of Don Friolera), and La hija del capitán (The Captain's Daughter).
• Retablo de la avaricia, la lujuria y la muerte (Altarpiece of Avarice, Lust, and Death): A collection of shorter pieces that parody traditional themes like marriage and confession, often set in a rural environment with characters exhibiting primitive behavior.

Characteristics of Valle-Inclán's Drama

• Sharp criticism of Spanish reality across different historical periods and social settings.
• Systematic deformation of reality, often based on stark contrasts and grotesque imagery.
• A highly charged, innovative, and expressive dramatic language.
• Conception of "total theater," where all scenic elements (dialogue, setting, lighting, sound) contribute integrally to the spectacle and meaning.

Federico García Lorca (1898-1936)

Federico García Lorca founded "La Barraca," a university theater group with which he toured Spain, bringing theater to diverse audiences. Between approximately 1930 and his death in 1936, he wrote his most significant plays.

Lorca's Contribution with "La Barraca"

Through "La Barraca," Lorca aimed to revitalize Spanish theater and make it accessible, particularly focusing on classical Spanish drama and his own innovative works.

Major Dramatic Works by Lorca

His dramatic output includes:

Historical Drama: Mariana Pineda

Mariana Pineda: This play tells the story of Mariana Pineda, who embroiders a liberal flag for her lover. When another suitor discovers this, he attempts to blackmail her. Refusing to betray her cause or her lover, Mariana is ultimately condemned and executed.

Lorca's Farces

Lorca also wrote farces, including works for puppets (e.g., his Títeres de cachiporra series) and for actors. These pieces often blend poetic sensibility with popular comedic traditions and social satire.

Acclaimed Rural Tragedies by Lorca

His most renowned plays are his rural tragedies, which explore profound human conflicts in a stylized, poetic manner:

• Bodas de sangre (Blood Wedding): Explores themes of passionate love, societal convention, honor, revenge, and death. On her wedding day, the Bride elopes with her former lover, Leonardo. They are pursued by the Groom and his family, leading to a fatal confrontation in which both Leonardo and the Groom are killed.
• La casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba): Subtitled "A Drama of Women in the Villages of Spain," this play powerfully depicts the oppressive atmosphere in a household dominated by the tyrannical matriarch Bernarda Alba. It explores themes of repression, authority, desire, and the longing for freedom among her five daughters.
• Yerma: Focuses on the tragic story of Yerma, a woman consumed by her desperate desire for a child in a society that equates womanhood with motherhood. Her husband, Juan, is indifferent to her longing and content without children. Faced with his final refusal and the crushing weight of her barrenness, Yerma, in a fit of despair and rage, strangles him.

Core Features of Lorca's Theatrical Art

• He considered theater a powerful medium for education and social connection, a "school for the people."
• Recurring themes include passionate love, individual frustration, social repression, sterility (both literal and metaphorical), honor, and inescapable death.
• His characters are often deeply dissatisfied with their reality, yearning for fulfillment or freedom that is ultimately denied.
• His plays are characterized by a rich, poetic language, filled with vivid imagery, metaphors, and symbols drawn from nature, folklore, and Andalusian culture.