Teatro Libertad collection

Teatro Libertad was founded in 1975 in the tradition of teatro Chicano, which came to prominence during the Chicano movement of the Sixties and Seventies. The troupe was influenced by the United Farmworker's affiliated Teatro Campesino and comedia del’arte street theater, political theater, the San Francisco Mime Troupe as well as the work of Bertoldt Brecht. Teatro Libertad wrote and produced full-length plays and a wide array of one act skits, and included musical performances as part of their repertoire. Their major productions were the plays Los Peregrinos(1975), El Vacil de 76(1976), Los Pelados(1977), La Jefita(1979), Semilla Sembrada (1981) and La Vida Del Cobre(1983). They were members of the international theater organization, TENAZ, and participated in many festivals, from New York to Mexico City to San Diego and Santa Barbara. Most of their performances took place in Tucson in the local neighborhood centers, but they also performed in mining towns for striking miners and for farmworkers in the fields. The teatro worked collectively to develop their plays and functioned as a collective. Members included Sylviana Wood, Barclay Goldsmith, Teresa Jones, Scott Egan, Arturo Martinez, Francisco Medina, Pernela Jones, Juan Villegas, Pamela Bartholomew, Lilliana Gambarte, Bob Diaz and a many others. The troupe was supported by grant funding and donations. It was an all-volunteer effort.