An Editorial Farewell

SPRING 2007 5 An Editorial Farewell When we launched the Latin American Theatre Review in the fall of 1967, there was no way to anticipate that it would become a central part of my life for the next 40 years. At that time, it would be fair to say that, as a field of study within the United States, the LatinAmerican theatre was still in its infancy. One of the great pleasures has been to see the field grow and flourish, and to achieve maturity in its performance and scholarship. As I retire as editor, I pass the reins to my young colleague, Stuart Day, with hope and encouragement that the position will bring him a similar sense of satisfaction. I am indebted to more people than I can begin to name here who have provided integral support throughout these many years: my original co-editor, Fred Litto, who brought creativity and substance to our initial efforts; my colleagues in the department (with special thanks to John Brushwood and Vicky Unruh) who were unfailingly supportive of the journal and our periodic conferences; to the several directors of the Center of LatinAmerican Studies,includingJohnAugelli,BillGriffith,CharleyStansiferandmostrecently Betsy Kuznesof, who sustained our efforts; to all the members of our Editorial Board, past and present, who have contributed heroically by evaluating countless manuscripts for publication; to my many editorial assistants over the years who became friends and companions in the process; and to the many colleagues throughout the world who have strengthened these efforts. Of course the journal would never have coalesced were it not for the superb theatre that we have come to know and expect from Latin America. To meet and know the principal players – the authors, directors, actors, critics, scholars – and to see the plays in performance in theatre festivals and regular venues has been an incredibly enriching and stimulating cultural feature of my life. To one and all, I salute you and your good efforts, I thank you for your support, and I wish the very best for the future of the field – and, naturally, to the Latin American Theatre Review. I hope that all of you, friends and colleagues, will show Stuart the same tender and loving support that have sustained me throughout the years. 6 LATINAMERICAN THEATRE REVIEW Una despedida editorial Cuando se lanzó Latin American Theatre Review en el otoño de 1967, no era posible anticipar que la revista llegaría a formar un elemento central de mi vida. En aquella época, sería justo decir que el teatro latinoamericano, como campo de estudio en Estados Unidos, se encontraba en su infancia. Uno de los mayores placeres para mí ha sido la manera en que ha crecido y florecido, alcanzando su mayoría en performance e investigación. Ahora, ya que me retiro, paso la dirección de la revista a mi joven colega Stuart Day, esperando que el puesto le traiga el mismo sentido de satisfacción. Estoy endeudado con más gente de la cual puedo nombrar aquí, gente que ha dado apoyo integral a lo largo de los años: Fred Litto, quien trajo un sentido de creatividad y sustancia a nuestros esfuerzos iniciales; a mis colegas del departamento (con reconocimiento especial a John Brushwood y Vicky Unruh) que nunca faltaron en dar respaldo a la revista y a los congresos periódicos; a los varios directores del Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos, incluyendo a JohnAugelli, Bill Griffith, Charley Stansifer y más reciente, Betsy Kuznesof, que estimularon constantemente nuestros esfuerzos; a todos los miembros del Consejo Editorial, pasados y actuales, que participaron heroicamente al hacer evaluaciones de innumerables cantidades de manuscritos; a los muchos/as estudiantes graduados/as que se desempeñaban como ayudantes editoriales y llegaron a ser amigos/as; y a los muchos colegas alrededor del mundo que nos ayudaron a crear la revista. Claro está que la revista no podría haber llegado a tal punto si no fuera por el teatro tan fino y rico que hemos llegado a conocer y anticipar del mundo latinoamericano. Uno de los aspectos más enriquecedores y estimulantes de mi vida ha sido la oportunidad de conocer a los participantes principales – los...