Mighty Morton

Acclaimed playwright Carlos Morton was the subject of a career tribute, as Texas State University hosted the 21st Annual Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration in San Marcos.

As Morton held court, the crowd erupted in laughter and applause as Texas State thespians acted out both hysterical and dramatic scenes from several of Morton’s plays before having a question and answer with the legend himself.

Morton has written over 100 plays, and is a former Mina Shaughnessy Scholar and Fulbright Lecturer to Mexico and Poland. He holds an MFA in drama from the University of California and a PhD in Theater from the University of Texas. He has lived on the border between Mexico and the United States since 1981 and has taught at universities in Texas, California and Mexico. He was a professor emeritus of theater at the University of California in Santa Barbara for 30 years and retired in 2020.

During the question and answer portion of the evening, Morton said he was born in Chicago, some of his grandparents are from Mexico and one of his grandparents is from Cuba.

“I never lived in a Mexican Barrio or a Latino Barrio. My Dad was in the military. He was a lifer–in the army,” Morton said. “We either lived in white neighborhoods in Chicago, or we lived in the army camps, and it was everybody.” He added that he didn’t live in his first primarily Latino neighborhood until he moved to El Paso in 1970.

Morton said at first it was difficult to stay connected to his Mexican heritage, particularly with the last name Morton.

“My grandfather changed his name when he came to the United States,” Morton said. “ His name was Perez, and he couldn’t get a job. He saw they were hiring. Chicago, at that time, was steel mills, railroads and meatpacking plants.” He added that his grandfather chose the name Morton after seeing an advertisement for the salt brand and was able to get a job with his new name.

Morton said he was born with the name Charles Morton.

“I changed my name when I was 21 to Carlos because that was my grandfather's name,” Morton said. “I was going to change it to Chuck Perez, but then I thought … Carlos Morton looks better on the marquees.”

Morton said his mother always took him to see Spanish language films, but he didn’t see a play until he got to high school.

“We didn’t go to Zarzuelas. We didn’t go to the Opera,” Morton said. “We didn’t drink wine with dinner. My dad drank Budweiser.”

Morton said his plays are very much inspired by his family and other people he has known in his life.

“We always told jokes at home,” Morton said. “A lot of those jokes you hear [in the plays] are jokes that my mother used to tell me.”

One of the scenes acted out by the students, depicts a Hispanic bar owner who claims to be a white woman.

“I had a Tia that used to tell me we were French,” Morton said. “I knew that she was a victim of racism. She grew up in a white world, and she wanted to be white. So, that’s why she painted her face. She looked like a Geisha, so I know people like that.” He added that he has to laugh to keep from crying.

Morton said he became interested in writing plays when he realized he wasn’t very good at acting.

'I wanted to do theater, but you have to find the right thing,” Morton said. “I decided playwriting is what I wanted to do.”

Morton added that he stays interested in playwriting because he loves to watch his plays performed by others–which he has done in many countries. He added that, as with all of the arts, playwriting is very competitive, so he has to constantly think about how to improve his work.

“I enjoy working,” Morton said. “I will not stop doing this. It’s just what I do. It’s what I am.”

He told an anecdotal story about one of his plays being performed in Poland. He said it transcended the language barrier because he was able to see the audience reactions. Morton said he does not have a favorite of the plays he’s written. He compares them to children.

“You find something in each one of them that you like,” Morton said. “And, that you don't like.”

He said while he was in journalism at the University of San Diego he received an assignment which led to him writing the play The Many Deaths of Danny Rosales–based on a true story about a court case that occurred in the 1970s in central Texas.

“Ruben Sandoval–I knew him. I met him. He was … a civil rights attorney that specialized in police brutality cases,” Morton said. “I interviewed him, and I used him in the play. Originally, he was a character in the play, but then I decided that there were too many men in The Many Deaths of Danny Rosales. I turned him into a woman … and he never forgave me.”

He said he did an adaptation of Julius Caesar in which Trump plays Caesar– Trumpus Caesar. It is available to view on You-Tube.

“It becomes a farce instead of a tragedy,” Morton said. “No one dies, not even Trump. He gets impeached several times.” He added that the character names are double entendres, which he said is a “very Mexican kind of humor.”

For information on Morton and his work, go to https://www.theaterdance. ucsb.edu/people/ carlos-morton.