Casona And Lorca: A Brief Comparison

Abstract

WHEN ALEJANDRO CASONA achieved his first success as a dramatist in 1934, there was, in the judgment of contemporary critics, only one other Spanish playwright capable of original work: Federico Garda Lorca. In the intervening years the situation has altered little. Of the younger men of Spain's theater only Antonio Buero Vallejo has really made a contribution, and this only within the last decade. As a consequence it can be maintained that in the first half of the current century Spain has produced only two original dramatists, Lorca and Casona, both members of what has been called the "Generation of '27." Of the two, Lorca is undoubtedly the more famous. Much of his fame is due, however, to his greatness as a lyric poet. There is no doubt, on the other hand, that had his life not been cut short by political murder, he would have attained equal renown as a playwright. As things stand, the few plays he did write remain as a standard by which to judge the productions of his contemporaries in the Spanish theater. Such being the case, it seems advisable to use that yardstick here to measure the stature of Alejandro Casona.