Identity elements
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Repertorio Español records
Date(s)
- 1964-2014 (Creation)
Extent
52 Boxes
Name of creator
Biographical history
Repertorio Español was founded in 1968 by producer Gilberto Zaldívar and Artistic Director René Buch to introduce the best of Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American theatre to a broad audience in New York City and across the country. Robert Weber Federico joined the company two years later as Resident Designer and Associate Artistic Producer and is currently the organization’s Executive Director.
From its earliest days, Repertorio has maintained a dramatic ensemble, attracting many talented veterans and emerging Hispanic actors, including Ofelia González, the first actress to win an OBIE Award without having performed in English. Another addition was Pilar Rioja in 1973, marking the beginning of a relationship that has established Ms. Rioja as a legend in Spanish dance. In 1980, Pablo Zinger, Musical Director, initiated a musical ensemble that presented zarzuela, operas, and elegant musical anthologies, and in 1992, Jorge Alí Triana of Colombia’s Teatro Popular de Bogotá began an association with Repertorio and since then has adapted and directed some of the company’s most epic works.
Repertorio Español received the 2011 OBIE Award for Lifetime Achievement; a 1996 Honorary Drama Desk Award for presenting quality theater; along with many citations by ACE (Association of Hispanic Theatre Critics) and HOLA (Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors). The company has also received an ENCORE Award for Excellence in Arts Management and Theater Communication Group’s Theater Practitioner Award for Messrs. Zaldívar and Buch’s contributions to the development of American theater.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The Repertorio Español records contain the organizational papers of Repertorio Español, a New York-based Spanish-language theater company active from the late 1960s to the present.
The collection contains audiovisual materials including DVDs with television commercials; media coverage; and excerpts, scenes and full performances as well as non-theater related footage. The collection also consists of fundraising records, show files, photographs, clippings, programs and scrapbooks documenting the operation of the theater. A recent donation included audio and video cassettes.
Series one contains show files related to various Repertorio Español productions, which include clippings, ephemera, photographs and some promotional materials and is arranged primarily by production name. Series two contains materials relating to productions on tour, which mostly contain administrative documents outlining contracts, correspondence and publications detailing and publicizing the tours. Series three contains materials relating to promotion of Repertorio Español's productions and outreach to the greater community and is arranged by production name. Series four contains materials related to fundraising that the organization did, including grant applications and outreach to funders. Series 5 contains correspondence files maintained by Repertorio on their interactions with community organizations, actors, writers and other artists; it is arranged by name of correspondent and organization. Series six contains clipping files maintained by Repertorio Españal on productions and news featuring the organization's work in the community; it is organized by publication title and date. Series seven contains audiovisual recordings of performances and recordings of media outlets on a variety of formats, including reel-to-reel, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and DVDs. Series 8 contains files of slides and contact sheets of Repertio Español performances, actors and events; this series is arranged by performance name and actor name.
The original order of these files as kept by Repertorio Español has been maintained in most cases. Some inventories of audiovisual materials are available; please contact the Archivist for more information.
System of arrangement
The collection is arranged in eight series: Show Files; Touring Material; Promotional Material; Fundraising Files; Correspondence; Clippings; Audiovisual Recordings; and Photographic Material. Original order was preserved when appropriate.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
This collection is open for research.
Physical access
This collection is housed off-campus and must be requested a minimum of seven calendar days in advance for consultation in the Cuban Heritage Collection Reading Room. Please contact chc@miami.edu to request materials from this collection.
Technical access
Some audio visual materials such as reel-to-reel tapes are restricted due to preservation and mechanical limitations.
Conditions governing reproduction
Requests to publish or display materials from this collection require written permission from the rights owner. Please contact chc@miami.edu for more information.
Preferred citation: Repertorio Español Records, Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries, Coral Gables, Florida.
Languages of the material
- English
- Spanish
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Generated finding aid
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Gifts of Repertorio Español, 2010 - 2012.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
The collection is expected to grow.
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
General note
Other Information:
Rights Statement:
The text of this webpage is available for modification and reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License and the GNU Free Documentation License (unversioned, with no invariant sections, front-cover texts, or back-cover texts).
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Archivist's note
Collection level record added by Amanda Moreno, January 2013. Processing by Fernando Espino, Juliana Prieto, Juan Villanueva and Amanda Moreno, January 2013 to April 2014. Finding aid updated by Amanda Moreno, April 2014. Collection processed and described by Amanda Moreno, 2014. Scope and contents updated by Natalie Baur, January 2015. Finding aid updated by Juan A. Villanueva, February 2019. Finding aid revised by Amanda Moreno, July 2019. Updated by Rebeca Gonzalez, May 2021.