El estreno de Las brujas de Salem en el teatro español de Madrid (1956-1957)

Abstract

In 1956, the director of the Español theatre, José Tamayo, decided to stage this play by Arthur Miller, backed by the warm welcome on the part of the audience, by the critics that other works from the same author had received, such as, for example. Death of a salesman, which had also been directed by Tamayo in 1952, as well as by the increasing interest that Miller's theatrical proposals arose during the 50s. The political situation at that moment, the censorship and the general public's tastes marked the debut of The Crucible (Las brujas de Salem) at Madrid's stages. The artistic proposal by Tamayo turned out as risky as the ideological one, mostly taking into account that the plays that were succeeding at that moment were musical comedies and revues. Against all odds, the play situated among one of the most watched ones and one that created most expectation among specialised columnists of the time. An analysis of the numerous critics that appeared after its presentation explains the curiosity that this setup originated, as well as the reasons for its success: the ideological connotations of the play, the quality of its adaptation, its spectacular staging and the work carried out by most actors and actresses, all which justified the great welcome on the part of spectators and the running of the play until performance number 99 was reached.