Carlos Morton Papers

Part 1 of the collection is organized in three series: 1. Literary productions, 2. Research and notes, and 3. Materials about Carlos Morton and his works. Also includes a folder of uncataloged later additions to the collection.

Consists of plays and essays by Carlos Morton, the bulk of which date from 1979 to 1984, along with materials relating to his plays. Among the play titles included in the collection are, Rancho Hollywood, Johnny Tenorio, Espíritu, and La Malinche. Extensive research materials on the murder of Richard Morales (on which the play The Many Deaths of Danny Rosales was based) are also included. Also included are programs, posters, and articles about Morton's work.

Part 2: Additions

Part 2 Additions is arranged into seven series: 1. Dramatic Works, 2. Written Works, 3. Multiple Works, 4. Educational/Professional Materials, 5. Personal Materials, 6. Audiovisual Material, and 7. Oversize Material.

The materials in this collection date from roughly 1960-2020 and primarily document Dr. Carlos Morton's career as a playwright in Texas, California, and abroad. Among the play titles included in the collection are Rancho Hollywood, El Jardín, Johnny Tenorio, The Many Deaths of Danny Rosales, La Malinche, and Dreaming on a Sunday in the Alameda. The materials also document Dr. Morton's positions in theaters, cultural organizations, and academic institutions, as well as his relationships with various performances of his work. The collection includes some material about Dr. Morton's personal life that documents his bonds and relationships with fellow authors and scholars.

The documents consist primarily of playbills and promotional materials for Morton's plays; scripts; research for plays; academic and freelance writing; poems; correspondence; and contracts for both his plays and professional career. The collection also includes articles, press, and academic writing about Dr. Morton and his work; photographs of performances of Dr. Morton's plays; comics potentially written by Dr. Morton; event ephemera; compact cassette tapes; CDs; and a 7in. vinyl record.

Series 1, Dramatic Works, includes a subseries for the following plays by Dr. Morton: The Many Deaths of Danny Rosales, El Jardín , Rancho Hollywood, Los Dorados, Johnny Tenorio, Pancho Diablo, The Savior, The Miser of Mexico, Dreaming on a Sunday in the Alameda, La Malinche, Esperanza, Lilith, Brown Baby, and Trumpus Caesar. Additionally, there are also 3 separate subseries for Dr. Morton's Minor Plays, Youth Theatre Initiatives, and Unpublished Works.

Series 2, Written Works, details Dr. Morton's engagement with cultural criticism and social commentary. His work as a reviewer of books, theater, and restaurants, alongside his political and social commentary, demonstrates his role as a cultural mediator and critic. The series also includes Morton's translations of others' work, including the The Fickle Finger of Lady Death, and comic adaptations of Morton's works.

Series 3, Multiple Works, includes material related to two or more plays or other creative work by Dr. Morton. Though this series has a considerable degree of content overlap with Series 1 and 2, the folders were created in this manner by Dr. Morton and this arrangement preserves his organizational approach.

Series 4, Educational/Professional Materials, traces Dr. Morton's academic career, positions at cultural heritage institutions, and international scholarly engagement. These facets of his life were often intertwined, and as such have been grouped together. The materials document his work as a scholar and professor for institutions within the University of Texas and the University of California, as well as a Fulbright fellow in Poland in the mid-2000s. Other work documented includes his directorship of the Study Abroad Center for the University of California Education Abroad Program in San Jose, Costa Rica, and academic visits to Mexico, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Cuba, and China. His research and writing on Chicano and Tejano history and culture provide important context for understanding the history of Latina/os cultural heritage in the American southwest, while his international correspondence illustrates how his work helped build bridges between U.S. Latina/o theater and global audiences.

Of particular significance within this series is Dr. Morton's extensive work organizing and participating in theater festivals. Materials from the Festival Fronterizo, Windmill Playwrights Festival, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Chicano Theater Festival, among others, demonstrate his commitment to creating platforms for Latina/o theater and fostering cross-cultural dialogue.

Series 5, Personal Materials, while smaller in volume, provides valuable context into Morton's life through correspondence, awards and accolades he received, and personal mementos he saved. Press and academic writing about Carlos Morton, as opposed to a specific play or performance, has been placed in this series.

Series 6, Audiovisual Material, documents Dr. Morton's theatrical work, personal life, travel and historic research for his plays and academic papers through photographic prints and slides.

Series 7, Oversized Material, is comprised of a small amount of oversized promotional material for some of Dr. Morton's plays.