Joan Oliver o el «realisme»

Abstract

<p>Interview between Feliu Formosa and the playwright Joan Oliver (Sabadell, 1899). Joan Oliver was born in the bosom of a traditional family of the bourgeoisie of Sabadell. Since youth he concentrated on Arts and he wrote poems, plays and prose. He wrote for severa! periodical publications. In 1928 he published his first book,&nbsp;<em>Una&nbsp;</em><em>tragedia a Lil·liput&nbsp;</em>(<em>A&nbsp;</em><em>tragedy in Lil·liput</em>). The following year he made his debut in the theatre with the presentation in «Mirador» of&nbsp;<em>Gairebé un&nbsp;</em><em>acte o Joan, Joana i Joanet&nbsp;</em>(<em>Almost&nbsp;</em><em>an act or Joan, Joana and Joanet</em>). But, till 1934, he doesn't begin his important poetic career —during it he uses the pseudonym of&nbsp;<em>Pere Quart</em>—<em>&nbsp;</em>with&nbsp;<em>Les decapitacions&nbsp;</em>(<em>The&nbsp;</em><em>Decapitations</em>). His first important play was&nbsp;<em>Cataclisme&nbsp;</em>(<em>Cataclysm</em>) (1935). He wrote other plays such as:&nbsp;<em>Allò que tal vegada s'esdevingué&nbsp;</em>(<em>That which perhaps occurred</em>) and&nbsp;<em>Cambrera Nova&nbsp;</em>(<em>New Waitress</em>) (1937);&nbsp;<em>La fam&nbsp;</em>(<em>The Hunger</em>) (1938, Prize of the Teatre Català de la Comèdia);&nbsp;<em>Ball robat&nbsp;</em>(<em>Dance Stolen</em>) and&nbsp;<em>Primera&nbsp;</em><em>representació&nbsp;</em>(<em>First Performance</em>) (performed for the first time in 1958 and 1959);&nbsp;<em>La&nbsp;</em><em>drecera&nbsp;</em>(<em>The Short Cut</em>) (Àngel Guimerà Prize, 1957). He made very good translations, both from narrators (Colette, Elsa Morante, Simone de Beauvoir) and playwrights (Molière, Shaw, Claudel, Beckett, Cekhov, Goldoni, Labiche…). Joan Oliver tried to be iconoclast and several subjects that distinguished definitely his work are placed between humour and satire.</p>