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Community Connections : Arts And Culture

Teatro Dominguez: theater sparking social change

A multicultural theater company composed of students, faculty, and staff members, Teatro Dominguez is dedicated to cross-cultural understanding both on campus and in the surrounding communities. The group performs play readings, conducts workshops and tours local elementary schools with short productions adapted from folktales. Combined with post-play discussions, these programs focus on multicultural themes and heroes such as Marcus Garvey, César Chávez and Frederick Douglass as well as social issues such as immigration, drug and alcohol abuse, gangs and intergenerational conflict.

In 1991, Bill DeLuca, professor of theater arts, began researching the idea of starting a cultural theater group, Teatro Dominguez. Now, over a decade later, his vision for social change through theater has inspired many children to pursue the arts and has even spurred some offshoots from Teatro alumni. Sunee Foley, (B.A. English: Literature Concentration, 2000) a former Teatro Dominguez participant who currently teaches at Redondo High School, created “Teatro Redondo,” modeled after DeLuca’s invention.

Senior Victor Trevino, theater arts, was also inspired to develop his own theater group because of his experiences with the program. Working with the Los Angeles County Office of Education Juvenile Court and Community School Program, Trevino is developing a program that encourages at-risk high school students to write short plays about issues of concern within their community and in society as a whole. Trevino hopes the program will reshape the way these youth think, and the way they live their lives. When asked why he took an interest in establishing Teatro Dominguez, DeLuca explains, “I’ve always been an educator at heart. I feel that theater has a strong purpose: get people to think and want to improve society."

Teatro Dominguez students pose with their masks

“For students, it has developed communication and social skills. You have to ‘work’ with people to foster leadership skills,” he continues. “No one’s ever asked some of these students to take charge like this before; it gives minority students in particular the opportunity to exercise leadership skills.”

Not only does Teatro provide leadership training, it pays student participants for their service through grants. “Instead of working at Carl’s Jr., they are working or acting in a play, which gives them an opportunity to work for their community,” DeLuca says.

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