The basic development of Chilean theatre has been from amateur to professional. In this there are strong similarities to the theatrical movements of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil in the last thirty to forty years, but with one main difference: the renewal of modern Chilean theatre began in the universities, and these student groups in time became the theatrical establishment. This process, its initial aims accomplished, has now reached a dead end. And once again there is a search for new approaches and objectives.

The evolution of our contemporary theatre began in 1941 with Cervantes’ La guarda cuidadosa and Valle Inclán's Ligazón, presented by a group of University of Chile students which became the Experimental Theatre; in 1943 the Catholic University began a similar venture: the Teatro de Ensayo under the direction of Pedro de la Barra. Commercial theatre in this country, however, goes back to the nineteenth century.