Buero Vallejo: A Theory of Historical Theatre

Abstract

We intend to present a progress report on Research Project No. 593 of the Research Council of the National University of Salta, “Theoretical Metatext in Contemporary Spanish Dramaturgy” (Antonio Buero Vallejo, Alfonso Sastre, José Sanchis Sinisterra). To this end, we will carry out a reading of the theoretical metatext inferred from Buero’s dramatic writing, recognized as historical theatre, focusing on two kinds of questions: 1) the configuration of Buero’s discursive model, paying special attention to genericity. In other words, we will establish the changes brought about when the historical episode (Un soñador para un pueblo) is modified into fantasy (Las meninas, El sueño de la razón, La detonación, etc.). 2) Relations between this model and the canons present in the Spanish discursive corpus (tragedy, farce, allegory, esperpento).

The analysis of the two intrametatextual axes and their comparison with the playwright’s explicit metatexts allows us to outline Buero Vallejo’s theory of historical theatre. In addition to this, and this fact is no less important than the previous one, the theory constitutes a valuable point of reference for the comparative study of the very broad spectrum of Latin American historical theatre.