Cal State LA Expands Latinx Theatre Archive With Major New Acquisitions

The University Library at Cal State LA has announced significant new acquisitions to the Latinx Theatre Alliance/Los Angeles Collection, expanding its holdings of archival materials that chronicle the development of Latinx theatre in Southern California.

Housed in Special Collections and Archives, these additions represent leading artists, companies, and institutions whose work has shaped the theatrical landscape of Los Angeles since the late 1960s.

Building on the foundation of the Voces del Teatro Oral History Archive, the newly acquired sub-collections further the effort to preserve and make accessible the artistic contributions of Latinx theatremakers across the region.

Now part of the Latinx Theatre Alliance/Los Angeles Collection are: the Carlos Brown Collection, featuring materials from the acclaimed Latinx Costume Designer; the Estela Scarlata Collection, documenting the legacy of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts co-founder; the Grupo de Teatro SINERGIA/Frida Kahlo Theater Archive, representing one of the city’s most prolific Spanish-language companies; records from Teatro de los Niños, Los Angeles’ first Chicano children’s theatre company; and documents from Teatro Primavera, one of the region’s earliest Chicano theatre groups.

“Cal State LA is proud to continue expanding the Latinx Theatre Alliance/Los Angeles Collection, as it provides a great resource for our students and the overall campus community on Los Angeles theatre history,” said Azalea Camacho, head of Special Collections and Archives at the University Library. “We look forward to deepening our collaboration with the Latinx Theatre Alliance of Los Angeles to ensure these histories are documented, preserved, and highlighted through primary source instruction and public programming.”

The Latinx Theatre Alliance/Los Angeles Collection originated with the Voces del Teatro Oral History Archive, established in 2020 through a partnership between the University Library and the Latinx Theatre Alliance/Los Angeles (LTA/LA). That archive includes more than 40 video and audio interviews with prominent artists and cultural figures, among them José Cruz González, Rubén Amavizca-Murúa, Evelina Fernández, Josefina López, and Jesus Reyes.

Founded in 2012, LTA/LA is a service organization that supports Latinx theatremakers throughout the Los Angeles area. In 2023, the alliance expanded its archival work to encompass related collections under a unified initiative. The project was originally launched by Minerva Garcia, Blanca Melchor, and Liane Schirmer.

“By nature, theater is ephemeral,” said Amavizca-Murúa, artistic director of Grupo de Teatro SINERGIA. “But with this collaboration between LTA/LA and Cal State LA, our theater’s history will remain available for students in the future.”

The collection is housed in the University Library’s Special Collections and Archives, located in the Palmer Wing, Room 2079. It is open to students, faculty, researchers, and members of the public interested in the legacy and evolution of Latinx theatre in Los Angeles.

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