Spanish Second Republic

The Spanish Second Republic and the Francoist Regime use the education as an instrument of socialization and political legitimacy but with different results. If we can talk of a certain failure —or precarious success— of the socialization of the values of the re-formist Republic (1931-1936), about revolutionary Republic (1936-1939) we have to predicate its supported success in a uniform policy favorated by the policy consensus which the first didn’t have and by the absence of the declarated enemies of the regime of which this was plenty off. The Francoism, by its way, manages to be in the power du-ring forty years not only for an effective repression but because of its adaptation’s capa-city to the different situations which they are going through, and in function of the ones it’s covering in different ways of legitimacy (charismatic, traditional, of origin, rational and of exercise), processes in which the education plays a fundamental role.

The <People's Theatre> which is characterized by its non profes-sional and distant economical approach to theatre, and by its manner of carrying the intelligence of the elite to the towns people plays the main part in this work. After discussing the educational function of the thea-tre, with special reference to the Spanish Second Republic, two types of theatre are studied: Pedagogical Missions Theatre and the University Theatre of <La Barraca> and <El Búho>, members of the University Schooling Federation (F.U.E.) of Madrid and of Valencia respecti-vely. In one or more occurrences the final products from these theatre groups does not only consist of funnelling entertainment and culture to a new audience, but also contemplates social and political awareness. The latter is done in a more explicit manner with the University Theatre.

The towns people feel called towards protagonism and participation in this social and political awareness. The Missions theatre is not a work of charity, nor is the University Theatre an experience without pretensions carried out by boisterous and carefree students. Due to fun-dings by the establishment both theatres demonstrate clear ideas on ideology and culture, which is obviously more apparent during the Spanish Civil War. When contemplating methods on social and personal emancipation, their works of drama convert, in a certain way, into <a guide to liberty>.