This collection of oral histories tells the story of a grassroots Chicano theater group, Teatro Cometa, which was active during 1970s and early 1980s in and around Fullerton, California. During their approximately dozen year span, Teatro Cometa embodied elements of the rasquache ethic as well as formal theatrical productions with varying levels of municipal and private support. This collection of oral histories gives voice to an otherwise marginalized community, shedding light on how some Chicano/Latino communities responded creatively and critically to drug use, ethnic discrimination and gang violence. Other themes that emerge are: the role of public education in the arts, the role of private funding for the arts (both local and regional), the impact of the Chicano movement in Orange County and the relationship between theater and civic engagement.

The library created this collection of materials for study and research.

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Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

The collection is open for research use.