Teatro Activities

 Play readings, workshops, and touring shows constitute the Teatro's main areas of activity.  The play readings are half-hour versions of full length plays that reflect cultural issues or values.  They are performed during the lunch hour and are  followed by a fifteen-minute discussion about the central ideas of the play.  For instance, after a reading of The Rabbit Foot by Leslie Lee, discussion focused on the problems during the  1920's for African-Americans living in the South and attempting to migrate North.

 The Teatro's workshop program brings on campus minority artists who work closely with Teatro members and lecture or offer exercises and workshops to the general student body.  Vic Trevino, a young Hispanic actor of Film and TV, appeared in our Spanish-language reading of Marisol's Christmas by Jose Cruz Gonzalez and talked with classes about developing confidence as a Mexican-American performer and avoiding roles that were derogatory portraits of his race.

 The Teatro's main objective is to adapt multicultural folktales into touring playlets that use masks and mime for local elementary schools.  This area offers the Teatro its greatest potential for social change since folklore has a magical quality that transcends the boundaries of race.  For instance, the Teatro has toured Martina's Surprise, an adaptation of a Puerto Rican tale about a cockroach who falls in love with a mouse from Peru.  Animals from around the world were incorporated into the story and informed young children about customs from their country.
 

Teatro Dominguez Activities (1992-2008):

September 1992 -  The Rabbit Foot by Leslie Lee (African-American Play)
    Play Reading in Student Union
October 1992 -  Latina by Milcha Sanchez-Scott (Hispanic-American Play)
    Play Reading in Student Union
December 1992 -  F. O. B by David Henry Hwang (Asian-American Play)
    Play Reading in Student Union

February 1993 -  Paul Robeson by Philip Hayes Dean (African-American Play)
   Play Reading in Student Union
March 1993 -  "Women's Monologues" by CSUDH Students
   Play Reading in Student Union
April 1993 -  The Big Picture by Vince Pinto (Play about the Disabled)
    Play Reading in Student Union

October 1993 -  Magic Waters (Adaptation of Chinese, African, and Mexican   Folktales.
    Performed at Bonita Street School,   Carroldale Elementary, and the Child Development
    Center, CSUDH.)
November 1993 - "New Plays Festival" (Three Original Plays by CSUDH writers)
   Play Reading in Student Union.
December 1993 -  Marisol's Christmas by Jose Cruz Gonzalez (Original
    Hispanic Play read in Spanish featuring Guest Artist Vic Trevino.
    Performed in Student Union and in University classes).

February 1994 -  I, Marcus Garvey by Edgar White (African-American Play)
   Play Reading in Student Union.
April 1994 - "New Plays Festival" (Three Original Plays by Women Writers)
   Reader's Theatre in the University Theatre.
May 1994 - Magic Waters Tour (Projected for five local schools as well as
    the Cultural Diversity Conference on May 7).

September 1994 - The Interview by Ron Arias (Bilingual play)
   Play Reading in Student Union.
October 1994 - "By Women of Color" - Poetry by African-American Women
   Read by students, faculty and staff on two days in the
   Theatre Arts patio.
November 1994 - The Wash by Philip Kan Gotanda (Japanese-American Play)
   Play Reading in Student Union (also performed in
    APP 101 and PHI 120 at CSUDH and Calle Mayor
    Middle School (8th grade) in Torrance.

February 1995 - In Splendid Error by William Branch (African-American Play
   about Frederick Douglas, with Guest Billy Mayo).
February 1995 - Martina's Surprise (Folktale Adaptation)
   Performed in Local Schools.
April 1995 - "Monologue Festival" (Speeches Written by CSUDH students)
   Play Reading in Student Union
May 1995 - "Actos" (Bilingual Plays created by company)
   Performed at Loker Student Union for Cinco de Mayo.

September 1995 - "Women's Play Festival" (Three Original Student Plays)
   Readings in the Student Union.
October 1995 - "Chato's Kitchen" (Storytold Children's Story by Gary Soto;
   Performed for Child Development Center.
November 1995 - "Chicano Poetry" (Read by students, faculty and staff)
   Theatre Arts Patio (Featured Latina poet).

February 1996 - Trickster Tales Tour (Folktale Adaptation)
   Performed in Local Schools.
 February 1996 - Before It Hits Home by Cheryl West (African-American)
   Read in Student Union.
February 1997 - Queen Bess by Teatro Student, Lethia Cobbs
   Read in Student Union.
April 1997 - All of the Same Silk by Student, Melissa Hodge
    (Multicultural Cinderella story) Read in Student Union.
April 27 - The Wash by Philip Kan Gotanda (Japanese-American Play)
   Play Reading at Mt. St. Mary's, Los Angeles.
May 1996 - "Actos" (Bilingual Plays created by company)
   Performed at CSUDH for Cinco de Mayo.

October 1996 - Woman from the Other Side of the World by Linda
    Fagao-Hall  (Philipina-American); read in Student Union.
November 1996 - All From the Same Silk Tour (Folktale Adaptation)
   Performed in Local Schools.
February 1997 - Queen Bess by Teatro Student, Lethia Cobbs
  Toured in Local Middle Schools and Junior Highs.
March 1997 - "Women's Monologues," written by CSUDH female writers
  Read in Student Union.
April 1997 - "Story Theatre" Tour (Folktale Adaptaion)

October 1998 - How Else Am I Supposed to Know I'm Still Alive,
    by Evelina Fernandez.  Performed by Lupe Ontiveros and Angela Moya in Loker.
November 1998 - "CSUDH Student Playwrights" - Monologues
    and Scenes performed by CSUDH actors in Loker.

February 1999 - Black Monologues by 20th Century Heroes by
    Teatro Student, Sunee Foley.  Performed in Loker and toured to
    local middle schools.
March 1999 - "Teatro Women's Workshop" - Monologue writing
    exercise conducted by Sunee Foley and Naomi Herrera.
March 1999 - "The Women's Playwright Festival"
    Six CSUDH student plays read in Loker on two nights.
May 1999 - "Chicano Theatre" - Improv Comedy for
    Cinco de Mayo

September 1999 - Flyin' West by Pearl Cleage (African-American Woman's Play)
    Read in Loker in collaboration with the Black Theatre Program.
November 1999 - Boy by Diana Son (Asian-American Play)
    Read in the Student Union.
December 1999 - Coyotita: The Little Coyote (Folktale Adaptation)
    Performed in Local Schools

February 2000 - "Local Black Heroes" - Student-written monologues
    honoring personal heroes; performed in Loker;
March 2000 -  Julie Johnson by Wendy Hammond, reading in collaboration
    with the Women’s Center and Women’s Studies.
April 2000 - Golden Child by David Henry Hwang
    Read in Loker
May 2000 - Shadow of a Man by Cherrie Moraga
    Read in Loker for Cinco de Mayo

September 2000 - "The Big Box" adapted from Toni Morrison
    Toured to Local Schools
October 2000 - Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry
    Read in Loker
November 2000 - Theatre of Liberation Workshops in CSUDH classrooms

February 2001 - The Vagina Monologues, performed in University  Theatre
    in collaboration with the Women's Center.
March 2001 - "The Women's Playwright Festival" - Three student-written plays
    read in the Edison Studio Theatre.
April 2001 - Simply Maria by Josephina Lopez - read in CSUDH classrooms

October 2001 - Weights by Lynn Manning - from Mark Taper's P.L.A.Y. program
    performed in University Theatre for 330 local high school students.
October 2001 - "Local Heroes" performed at Caroldale Middle School - company written
    monologues about a "heroic" person in their life; Company of 15 does a writing
    workshop for two weeks with 7th and 8th grade students at Caroldale.
November 2001 - Folktale tour of "The Magic Forest" (written by Bill DeLuca, lyrics
    by Elveria Buford, Music by Michael Forbes, and masks by Pam Kersten). 

February 2002 - The Vagina Monologues, performed in University  Theatre
    in collaboration with the Women's Center.  
March 2002 - Culture Clash Performance and Workshop.
April 2002 - The Laramie Project, Performed in Edison Studio Theatre
   in collaboration withLong Beach City College.
April 2002 - Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball
    Read in Loker

October 2002 - The Witch of Mopti by Mohammed Ben Abdallah
    Read in Loker
February 2003 - Folktale tour of "The Magic Forest"
March 2003 - The Vagina Monologues, performed in University  Theatre
    in collaboration with the Women's Center.  

March 2003 - "The Women's Playwright Festival" - Six student-written plays
read in Loker Studio Union, in collaboration with the Women's Center.
March 2003 - Chavez: Portrait of a Hero by Glen Jimenez,
commissioned and performed by Teatro Dominguez in Loker Student Union.

September 2003 - Storytelling Program - Read and Performed folktale-based
    stories to local 2nd grade classrooms.
October 2003 - "Poetry of Playwrights" - Selections from Kalidasa, Sor Juana de la Cruz,
    Aprhra Behn, Shakespeare, Miguel Pinero and others.
November 2003 - Mulatto by Langston Hughes - Read in Loker

February 2004 - Ti-Jean and His Brothers by Derek Walcott - Read
    in Loker.
February 2004 - The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler - Our 4th year of performance
    in the University Theatre.  Co-sponsored by Associated Students.
March 2004 - Chavez: Portrait of a Hero by Glen Jimenez (to be staged in
    The Edison Theatre)
April 2004 -  Elementary School Tour of "Healing Stories" - Written
    and performed by Teatro students.
May 2004 - "Bilingual Poetry" performed in the Edison.
May 2004 - Reading of Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka.

September 2004 - Return of "Healing Stories" - Tour to local schools.
October 2004 - Reading of M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang in Edison.
October 2004 - "Monologue Fest" - Collaboration of Playwriting and
    Acting class to read student written monologues.
November 2004 - Reading of Top Dog/Underdog by Susan-Lori Parks in Edison.
November 2004 - Scenes from Hamlet played in CSUDH Humanities 200 classes.

February 2005    Much Ado About Nothing - Teatro workshop featuring
    East L.A. Classic<> <>theatre presentation of Mariachi themed performance
    to 470 local high school students in the University Theatre. 
    Funded by a grant from Southern California Edison.

February 2005    The Vagina Monologues - by Eve Ensler.  Performed in the University Theatre
    in coordination with Associated Students, Inc. as part of the College V-Day Initiative 2005. 
April 2005    Cornerstone Theatre Company - One-Day Intensive Workshop given
    with Teatro to 25 local students and residents of Carson on community-based theatre creation.
April 2005    Unity Fest - Performance of "The Tsunami Project" a play written by
    Teatro members to help raise support for the tsunami relief effort.
August 2005    Creation of a company-authored folktale for 2nd graders based
    on interviews with Carson residents. 
September 2005    Tour of the company-based folktale, Local Heroes, to local elementary  
    schools in Carson area.
October 2005    Reading of Top Dog/Underdog and Blood Wedding for English classes.
    Story Circles and Interviews with Carson residents for the Carson Bridge Project.
November 2005    Participation in Healing Concerts at CSUDH for Katrina victims
    (monologue and scene readings).
December 2005    Staged the "Windmills" scene from Don Quixote for the Quixote
    Conference at CSUDH celebrating 400 years of the novel.

February 2006    Reading of "Intimate Apparel" by Lynn Nottage for Langston Hughes
    Poetry Night and ENG 350 class.
February 2006    Tour of Local Heroes continues to local schools.
April 2006    Reading of first draft of Carson Bridge Project.

September 2006    The Carson Bridge Project produces “A House Named Eden” by
    Jose Cruz Gonzalez with a 35-member cast of students, alumni and Carson residents,
    based on interviews with community members.

February 2007    “The Women of August Wilson” – Monologues from Wilson’s plays
    by female characters – tours CSUDH classrooms.
March 2007    Readings of “Rancho Dominguez” at local schools;
    original play about Don Manuel Dominguez and his daughters in the 1840s;
March 2007    “Chavez: The Rise of a Leader” by Glen Jimenez – performed at
    the Dolores Huerta Celebration at CSUDH, and at the City of Carson Chavez Festival;
April 2007    Story Telling Program – Students read and told multicultural folktales
    to 2nd graders in local elementary schools;

October 2007    Teatro students perform in The Dominguez Bridge Project,
    and play created from their interviews of 40 years of
    CSUDH alumni, faculty, staff and students;
October 2007    Reading of "Brown N Black," two plays by Teatro
       Students about ethnic violence in our schools.

February 2008    The Vagina Monologues - by Eve Ensler. 
    Performed in coordination with Associated Students, Inc.
    as part of the 10th Annivresary of the V-Day Initiative 2008.  Provided $2,000
    to the Peace and Joy Care Center, a battered women's shelter in Carson.
March 2008    “Trapped” by student Joe Elizondo – performed at local high schools,
    and at the CSUDH High School Theatre Festival – a play about the tension
    between brown and black youth in our schools.
March 2008    “Chavez: The Rise of a Leader” by Glen Jimenez –
    performed for PACE classes at CSUDH.
April 2008    “Folktale Theatre” by Bill DeLuca – an adaptation of three folktales
     performed by the company at local schools in the Carson area.