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Zoot Suit and Other Plays
Here are three of playwright and screenwriter Luis Valdez's most important and recognized plays: Zoot Suit, Bandido! and I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges! The anthology also includes an introduction by noted theater critic Dr. Jorge Huerta of the University of California-San Diego. Luis Valdez, the most recognized and celebrated Hispanic playwright of our times, is the director of the famous farm-worker theater, El Teatro Campesino.
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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About the author
Luis Valdez
42 books31 followersLuis Valdez is an American playwright, writer and film director.
He is regarded as the father of Chicano theater in the United States.
He is regarded as the father of Chicano theater in the United States.
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July 4, 2024
These plays should be standard for any Chicano/a/x studies course. Their depth and understanding of the Chicano/a/x plight are complex, inventive, historically and culturally informative, and overall entertaining.
By recounting the events of the Zoot Suit Riots, which took place from June 3-8, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, Luis Valdez’ first play of this collection, Zoot Suit, allows audiences to witness White supremacism’s process of cultural erasure, while reevaluating the history of the Chicano/a/x populations’ assimilation and the subversion of that process.
The play displays, as many historic photos do, the stripping of the zoot suit as a defining, scarring, and humiliating moment for Chicanos. The play then conveys that the stripping of the zoot suit signifies a cultural stripping, a stripping of dignity, of the mind, of language, and the methods of subversion. As we see toward the end, Rudy (Henry, the main character’s brother) joins the Marines after he's been stripped, seeming to have no choice but to dawn the uniform of patriotic conformity.
Valdez cleverly uses this long-forgotten event to discuss the racial profiling, police discrimination, and discriminatory narratives the L.A. Press created to demonize the Chicano/a/x youth of this era. This latter issue, media portrayals of Chicanos, is a major theme throughout Zoot Suit. Thus, Zoot Suit engages in a massive critique of the L.A. media's depiction of Mexican Americans at that point, accusing L.A.’s media outlets of racial demonization. The play does a masterful job of showing a White orchestration of these mechanisms to stir up justifications for oppression and, ultimately, the enforcement of it, and as such, the play shows how the press demonizes and the police brutalize. This is evident from the diatribe spewed through newspaper headlines like “Zoot-Suited Goons of Sleepy Lagoon” (38), which is followed by Sergeant Smith remarking during an interrogation, “Forget it lieutenant, you can't treat these animals like people.” (32). Valdez, through the play, suggests the media invented the persona of the violent zoot suiter to spread anti-Chicano propaganda. But one question remained for me: why? Why such disdain, animus, and bigotry? As I mentioned earlier, it does not seem it was enough for agents of White supremacism to strip Mexican Americans of their land and language. They must also strip them of their history, culture, the ways they subvert assimilation, and even their dignity. As noted, the Zoot Suit Riots are a largely forgotten event. This alone is evidence of how successful erasure and the stripping of historical and cultural consciousness can be.
The masterful critique of the 1940s California press and White supremacism continues as Valdez cleverly casts the judge of Henry and his gang’s trial as the same actor who played Lieutenant Sam Edwards, while the prosecution and the Press are played by the same actor.
Here, the press is both prosecution and jury in the play, suggesting their roles within the court of public opinion lie in claiming guilt, posing accusations, trying the pachucos within the court of public opinion, and finding them guilty. This also sheds light on the echo chamber of discrimination within American media that existed during WWII, the exclusion of Hispanic or Latino voices from the American press's widespread influence, and the Hispanic or Latino community's inability to provide input into the collective discourse influencing the American consciousness.
A great play comes with a great use of dialogue, and this play can boast of that marker. In Zoot Suit, Valdez displays a masterful understanding of the linguistic manipulation and abuses that occurred within the courts of that era or any oppressive era. Valdez shows his understanding of legal weaponization for the use of oppression.
This play held my attention by including captivating characters who underwent monumental and devastating catastrophes. Henry and his family felt so familiar to me as a brown man. This man could’ve been my uncle, my dad, a friend, or even myself. Henry, his family, the White lawyers who fought for his freedom, the White reporters who vilified him, and the White officers who brutalized him with their words and actions all served as carefully placed metonyms for a larger experience. But the essence of the zoot suit mentality, exhibition, attitude, and style were all embodied by a metonymic character who also happened to fill the role of the narrator: the almost omnipotent and omniscient Pachuco. Valdez himself described the Pachuco and his style as “an act in Life and his language a new creation. His will to be was an awesome force eluding all documentation...A mythical, quizzical, frightening being...Precursor of revolution...Or a piteous, hideous heroic joke…” (25-26). Throughout the play, the Pachuco and Henry converse, argue, and advise one another about the sentiments, perceptions, and knowledge one gains from the marginalization the Chicano population endured. Throughout their exchange, one can see that Pachuco serves as Henry's alter ego, but I would argue that Henry, in turn, serves as the avatar for the Pachuco. But, make no mistake. The hierarchy is apparent. A supreme knowledge, perception, and omnipotence fume from the Pachuco, as evidenced by the poignant moment where the Pachuco and Henry pause and speak to the audience’s expectation of violence amongst the young Chicanos, calling into question the audience’s voyeurism and their willingness to engage in stereotyping. Here, Henry's indictment in court is reversed onto the audience both literally and figuratively (46).
However, Valdez does a great job of showing that Zoot Suit is also about preservation. This was evident by the use of Spanglish or Pachuco slang used within the play. As a Latino, this sort of Spanish was also difficult for me to understand because it’s a dialect of Spanish that has slipped through the cracks. It's not Castilian, and it's not Mexican. It's not even one of a national origin. It is an organic structure pieced together like a disregarded mix of scraps formed into a delicious caldo de marisco by the persistent and unflappable Chicano movements of the 40s and 70s. To assist with the translations, and thus my understanding, I used this site: Zoot Suitturgy. By using this language, Valdez is able to preserve a culture that could be lost to many, including myself. Via Valdez's methodology, the play becomes a retelling, a reimagining, a reinvestment, a celebration of the mindset and aesthetic of the zoot suit and all it embodies, encompasses, and how these Chicano/a/x ancestors maintained and expressed their cultural identity.
From this understanding, Valdez intertwines this long-forgotten microcosmic event of the stripping of a few young Chicano men with the macrocosmic current event of stripping down, humiliating, brutalizing, and defaming the entire Chicano/a/x culture and people. By doing so, Valdez sheds a bright mambo fashioned light on cultural loss and the disciplining of a culture.
By revisiting and exploring this event, Valdez allows the occurrences of this story to be transposed onto the current state of Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x/e discrimination and demonization. Current examples include the attachment of repugnance to the “Edgar” haircut and the young men who adopt its contours and other more insidious claims that suggest every current migrant man is a potential murderous member of the South American gang MS-13.
Valdez’s second play, Bandido, seeks to redeem the reputation of the defamed and vilified Californian Tiburcio Vasquez. Vasquez appears to be a casualty of history who has either been long forgotten or painted as a beast of a man. According to the play's portrayal, Vasquez sought to act as a liberator for the Mexicans overrun by White colonizers, but for this desire, coupled with his serial thievery, earned himself the title of murderer, thief, and monstrosity. Valdez redeems and reclaims Vasquez from a bestial reputation by portraying Vasquez as a debonair, clever gentleman who steals what he must while seeking liberty for the oppressed. By creating a very Robin Hood or Zorro-esque character, the play does a great job of rehabilitating whatever reputation Vasquez has. It provides a hero's persona for a Mexican American audience to cheer for, but for me, it does not delve enough into the history of the time and place of the character and does not go into any real detail as to what Vasquez accomplished in terms of liberation. I see the potential in reclaiming the story of Vasquez, but the execution, with no pun intended, was missing substance, in my opinion.
Valdez’s third and final play, I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges, is set during the Reagan era. This play ventures away from the downtrodden and forgotten characters of the earlier works and instead focuses on the lives of an upper-middle-class Mexican American family. Here, Hollywoodish parents, actors who primarily play the roles of extras and token Hispanics, receive an unplanned visit from their boy genius son who is supposed to be studying at Harvard.
Although Valdez’s first two plays also break the fourth wall or become meta in the way that they integrate plays within plays, this work seems particularly meta in the way that acting, directing, and studio productions play a major part in the story. Sonny, the son, evokes the language and vision of a director while acting in this role in many scenes. Ordaining himself as the director of this moment in the family’s lives, one might surmise that the camera he uses throughout his visit provides cover for Sonny to interact with people as a voyeur. Perhaps this is when he becomes himself. Perhaps this is a defense mechanism.
As Sonny reveals that he's left Harvard Law School to pursue his dream of becoming an auteur, his eccentric, delusional, and overbearing personality presents itself. At first, we cannot tell whether his obnoxious disposition stems from his age, 16, or whether his blossoming assholery stems from juvenile angst, as he admits he has later.
Whatever the reasons, Sonny certainly comes off as naïve, pompous, and one given to a pipe dream we have yet to see fulfilled by any Chicano, Latino, Hispanic, etc, currently.
As the play progresses, it is difficult to see whether Sonny is ungrateful, ashamed, or views his parents as silent martyrs of the Chicano representational cause, with him as their reclaimer and savior. This latter point is made evident when he calls his parents “marginal” and “invisible" (179-180) while later claiming he’s returned to “vindicate their silence” (183).
As the play moves further along, Sonny moves further away from reality. We come to find Sonny is a young man detached from reality but keen on the perceptions of reality as he suggests he's merely acting when he fulfills the stereotype surrounding hypersexual criminalized Latino males. As a subject, Sonny is a perfect study case for a gender and ethnic studies course. He is one forced to navigate his way through what it means to be a Chicano, middle-class hyper-intellectual who exists within the very White spaces of Harvard at the age of 16.
As Sonny falls deeper into his delusions and becomes more rigid in his stereotypical portrayals, he engages in a few Hamlet-esque soliloquies that psychoanalyze his place within what we currently call Latinidad. In these monologues, within the framework of what he calls his Harvard Homeboy Movie, he discusses his masculinity within the environment of the barrio, constantly calling himself a “pussy" for deviating from the norms or tropes of manhood within Chicano culture. These deviations or violations include being middle class, educated, intellectual, and not hypersexual. He characterizes himself as fraudulent and double alienated, alienated from male Chicanos and alienated from the Harvard crowd. I can identify with Sonny here. I've felt the same as a Latino male in academic spaces.
In its culmination, we realize Sonny is one of many Chicanos/Latinos/Mexicanos dealing with a psychic fracture or identity crisis when it comes to fitting into academia or America in general.
In its broader sense, the play then seems to deal with who Chicanos/Latinos/Hispanics are, what they're allowed to be, the spaces they're allowed to be them in, and all the limitations placed on and internalized by these groups. The play shows that we are allowed to be stereotypes in public places. But should we internalize, perform, or reject these in private spaces? How do we perform for other Chicanos/Latinos/Hispanics? How do we perform for outgroups? How do we perform or reject this when we're alone?
By recounting the events of the Zoot Suit Riots, which took place from June 3-8, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, Luis Valdez’ first play of this collection, Zoot Suit, allows audiences to witness White supremacism’s process of cultural erasure, while reevaluating the history of the Chicano/a/x populations’ assimilation and the subversion of that process.
The play displays, as many historic photos do, the stripping of the zoot suit as a defining, scarring, and humiliating moment for Chicanos. The play then conveys that the stripping of the zoot suit signifies a cultural stripping, a stripping of dignity, of the mind, of language, and the methods of subversion. As we see toward the end, Rudy (Henry, the main character’s brother) joins the Marines after he's been stripped, seeming to have no choice but to dawn the uniform of patriotic conformity.
Valdez cleverly uses this long-forgotten event to discuss the racial profiling, police discrimination, and discriminatory narratives the L.A. Press created to demonize the Chicano/a/x youth of this era. This latter issue, media portrayals of Chicanos, is a major theme throughout Zoot Suit. Thus, Zoot Suit engages in a massive critique of the L.A. media's depiction of Mexican Americans at that point, accusing L.A.’s media outlets of racial demonization. The play does a masterful job of showing a White orchestration of these mechanisms to stir up justifications for oppression and, ultimately, the enforcement of it, and as such, the play shows how the press demonizes and the police brutalize. This is evident from the diatribe spewed through newspaper headlines like “Zoot-Suited Goons of Sleepy Lagoon” (38), which is followed by Sergeant Smith remarking during an interrogation, “Forget it lieutenant, you can't treat these animals like people.” (32). Valdez, through the play, suggests the media invented the persona of the violent zoot suiter to spread anti-Chicano propaganda. But one question remained for me: why? Why such disdain, animus, and bigotry? As I mentioned earlier, it does not seem it was enough for agents of White supremacism to strip Mexican Americans of their land and language. They must also strip them of their history, culture, the ways they subvert assimilation, and even their dignity. As noted, the Zoot Suit Riots are a largely forgotten event. This alone is evidence of how successful erasure and the stripping of historical and cultural consciousness can be.
The masterful critique of the 1940s California press and White supremacism continues as Valdez cleverly casts the judge of Henry and his gang’s trial as the same actor who played Lieutenant Sam Edwards, while the prosecution and the Press are played by the same actor.
Here, the press is both prosecution and jury in the play, suggesting their roles within the court of public opinion lie in claiming guilt, posing accusations, trying the pachucos within the court of public opinion, and finding them guilty. This also sheds light on the echo chamber of discrimination within American media that existed during WWII, the exclusion of Hispanic or Latino voices from the American press's widespread influence, and the Hispanic or Latino community's inability to provide input into the collective discourse influencing the American consciousness.
A great play comes with a great use of dialogue, and this play can boast of that marker. In Zoot Suit, Valdez displays a masterful understanding of the linguistic manipulation and abuses that occurred within the courts of that era or any oppressive era. Valdez shows his understanding of legal weaponization for the use of oppression.
This play held my attention by including captivating characters who underwent monumental and devastating catastrophes. Henry and his family felt so familiar to me as a brown man. This man could’ve been my uncle, my dad, a friend, or even myself. Henry, his family, the White lawyers who fought for his freedom, the White reporters who vilified him, and the White officers who brutalized him with their words and actions all served as carefully placed metonyms for a larger experience. But the essence of the zoot suit mentality, exhibition, attitude, and style were all embodied by a metonymic character who also happened to fill the role of the narrator: the almost omnipotent and omniscient Pachuco. Valdez himself described the Pachuco and his style as “an act in Life and his language a new creation. His will to be was an awesome force eluding all documentation...A mythical, quizzical, frightening being...Precursor of revolution...Or a piteous, hideous heroic joke…” (25-26). Throughout the play, the Pachuco and Henry converse, argue, and advise one another about the sentiments, perceptions, and knowledge one gains from the marginalization the Chicano population endured. Throughout their exchange, one can see that Pachuco serves as Henry's alter ego, but I would argue that Henry, in turn, serves as the avatar for the Pachuco. But, make no mistake. The hierarchy is apparent. A supreme knowledge, perception, and omnipotence fume from the Pachuco, as evidenced by the poignant moment where the Pachuco and Henry pause and speak to the audience’s expectation of violence amongst the young Chicanos, calling into question the audience’s voyeurism and their willingness to engage in stereotyping. Here, Henry's indictment in court is reversed onto the audience both literally and figuratively (46).
However, Valdez does a great job of showing that Zoot Suit is also about preservation. This was evident by the use of Spanglish or Pachuco slang used within the play. As a Latino, this sort of Spanish was also difficult for me to understand because it’s a dialect of Spanish that has slipped through the cracks. It's not Castilian, and it's not Mexican. It's not even one of a national origin. It is an organic structure pieced together like a disregarded mix of scraps formed into a delicious caldo de marisco by the persistent and unflappable Chicano movements of the 40s and 70s. To assist with the translations, and thus my understanding, I used this site: Zoot Suitturgy. By using this language, Valdez is able to preserve a culture that could be lost to many, including myself. Via Valdez's methodology, the play becomes a retelling, a reimagining, a reinvestment, a celebration of the mindset and aesthetic of the zoot suit and all it embodies, encompasses, and how these Chicano/a/x ancestors maintained and expressed their cultural identity.
From this understanding, Valdez intertwines this long-forgotten microcosmic event of the stripping of a few young Chicano men with the macrocosmic current event of stripping down, humiliating, brutalizing, and defaming the entire Chicano/a/x culture and people. By doing so, Valdez sheds a bright mambo fashioned light on cultural loss and the disciplining of a culture.
By revisiting and exploring this event, Valdez allows the occurrences of this story to be transposed onto the current state of Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x/e discrimination and demonization. Current examples include the attachment of repugnance to the “Edgar” haircut and the young men who adopt its contours and other more insidious claims that suggest every current migrant man is a potential murderous member of the South American gang MS-13.
Valdez’s second play, Bandido, seeks to redeem the reputation of the defamed and vilified Californian Tiburcio Vasquez. Vasquez appears to be a casualty of history who has either been long forgotten or painted as a beast of a man. According to the play's portrayal, Vasquez sought to act as a liberator for the Mexicans overrun by White colonizers, but for this desire, coupled with his serial thievery, earned himself the title of murderer, thief, and monstrosity. Valdez redeems and reclaims Vasquez from a bestial reputation by portraying Vasquez as a debonair, clever gentleman who steals what he must while seeking liberty for the oppressed. By creating a very Robin Hood or Zorro-esque character, the play does a great job of rehabilitating whatever reputation Vasquez has. It provides a hero's persona for a Mexican American audience to cheer for, but for me, it does not delve enough into the history of the time and place of the character and does not go into any real detail as to what Vasquez accomplished in terms of liberation. I see the potential in reclaiming the story of Vasquez, but the execution, with no pun intended, was missing substance, in my opinion.
Valdez’s third and final play, I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges, is set during the Reagan era. This play ventures away from the downtrodden and forgotten characters of the earlier works and instead focuses on the lives of an upper-middle-class Mexican American family. Here, Hollywoodish parents, actors who primarily play the roles of extras and token Hispanics, receive an unplanned visit from their boy genius son who is supposed to be studying at Harvard.
Although Valdez’s first two plays also break the fourth wall or become meta in the way that they integrate plays within plays, this work seems particularly meta in the way that acting, directing, and studio productions play a major part in the story. Sonny, the son, evokes the language and vision of a director while acting in this role in many scenes. Ordaining himself as the director of this moment in the family’s lives, one might surmise that the camera he uses throughout his visit provides cover for Sonny to interact with people as a voyeur. Perhaps this is when he becomes himself. Perhaps this is a defense mechanism.
As Sonny reveals that he's left Harvard Law School to pursue his dream of becoming an auteur, his eccentric, delusional, and overbearing personality presents itself. At first, we cannot tell whether his obnoxious disposition stems from his age, 16, or whether his blossoming assholery stems from juvenile angst, as he admits he has later.
Whatever the reasons, Sonny certainly comes off as naïve, pompous, and one given to a pipe dream we have yet to see fulfilled by any Chicano, Latino, Hispanic, etc, currently.
As the play progresses, it is difficult to see whether Sonny is ungrateful, ashamed, or views his parents as silent martyrs of the Chicano representational cause, with him as their reclaimer and savior. This latter point is made evident when he calls his parents “marginal” and “invisible" (179-180) while later claiming he’s returned to “vindicate their silence” (183).
As the play moves further along, Sonny moves further away from reality. We come to find Sonny is a young man detached from reality but keen on the perceptions of reality as he suggests he's merely acting when he fulfills the stereotype surrounding hypersexual criminalized Latino males. As a subject, Sonny is a perfect study case for a gender and ethnic studies course. He is one forced to navigate his way through what it means to be a Chicano, middle-class hyper-intellectual who exists within the very White spaces of Harvard at the age of 16.
As Sonny falls deeper into his delusions and becomes more rigid in his stereotypical portrayals, he engages in a few Hamlet-esque soliloquies that psychoanalyze his place within what we currently call Latinidad. In these monologues, within the framework of what he calls his Harvard Homeboy Movie, he discusses his masculinity within the environment of the barrio, constantly calling himself a “pussy" for deviating from the norms or tropes of manhood within Chicano culture. These deviations or violations include being middle class, educated, intellectual, and not hypersexual. He characterizes himself as fraudulent and double alienated, alienated from male Chicanos and alienated from the Harvard crowd. I can identify with Sonny here. I've felt the same as a Latino male in academic spaces.
In its culmination, we realize Sonny is one of many Chicanos/Latinos/Mexicanos dealing with a psychic fracture or identity crisis when it comes to fitting into academia or America in general.
In its broader sense, the play then seems to deal with who Chicanos/Latinos/Hispanics are, what they're allowed to be, the spaces they're allowed to be them in, and all the limitations placed on and internalized by these groups. The play shows that we are allowed to be stereotypes in public places. But should we internalize, perform, or reject these in private spaces? How do we perform for other Chicanos/Latinos/Hispanics? How do we perform for outgroups? How do we perform or reject this when we're alone?
March 7, 2018
Loved the first two (Zoot Suit and Bandido!), but the third one (I Don't Have to Sho You No Stinking Badges!), unfortunately, didn't hold my attention or interest as much.
Very interesting, and still relevant today (because bigots).
Very interesting, and still relevant today (because bigots).
November 22, 2013
I enjoyed this a lot more than I initially thought I would. Well, to be honest, I did not know what to expect at all, when I started reading, but the characters felt real and lively enough to draw me in.
This edition collects the plays Zoot Suit; Bandido! and I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges! all focusing on Mexican Americans living in the US-Mexican borderlands during different periods of history.
My favourite play of this set would clearly be Badges!, because the subject matter is so easily recognisable to a fan of various types of media, even to someone who does not live in the US. Representation and racism in the media is still such a hot topic, and unfortunately, in the decades since the first publication of this play, things have not changed as much as people might have wished for. Therefore the bitter-sweet (or just bitter?) ending rings especially, powerfully true.
This edition collects the plays Zoot Suit; Bandido! and I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges! all focusing on Mexican Americans living in the US-Mexican borderlands during different periods of history.
My favourite play of this set would clearly be Badges!, because the subject matter is so easily recognisable to a fan of various types of media, even to someone who does not live in the US. Representation and racism in the media is still such a hot topic, and unfortunately, in the decades since the first publication of this play, things have not changed as much as people might have wished for. Therefore the bitter-sweet (or just bitter?) ending rings especially, powerfully true.
March 3, 2016
Interesting book of three plays by Mexican-American playwright Luis Valdez. The most recognized play in ‘Zoot Suit’, which was a successful motion picture. However, the play that moved me is called ‘I Don’t Have to Show You No Stinkin’ Badges’. This play came to me at a point in my life when it was absolutely necessary.
The play concerns the lives of a Mexican-American acting couple. They are established bit players, and have built a comfortable middle-class life in the suburbs near Hollywood. They have sent their eldest daughter to medical school, and she is now a successful doctor. They have sent their second child, a son, to Harvard.
The protagonist, Buddy Villa, is proud of his life and likes to recount how he got his first film job as an extra in the famous film, ‘The Treasure of Sierra Madre’ where he was one of the non-speaking bandits.
The drama starts when his son returns home angry and disillusioned. He has dropped out of Harvard, and accuses his family of lying to him. All his life his family and teachers have told him that he was smart. But at Harvard, he found he was not as smart as the other students there.
He challenges his father for his choice of career. He is a bit player of no importance. He and his mother play only stereo-type roles, and yet they are proud of their lives. They should be ashamed of themselves.
The drama then involves the resolution of this crisis. I found the ending thought provoking, and came away with the understanding that I do not have to justify my life or actions to any one. I will make my choices and live with the consequences, without guilt and without seeking justification. ‘I don’t need no stinkin’ badges!’
The play concerns the lives of a Mexican-American acting couple. They are established bit players, and have built a comfortable middle-class life in the suburbs near Hollywood. They have sent their eldest daughter to medical school, and she is now a successful doctor. They have sent their second child, a son, to Harvard.
The protagonist, Buddy Villa, is proud of his life and likes to recount how he got his first film job as an extra in the famous film, ‘The Treasure of Sierra Madre’ where he was one of the non-speaking bandits.
The drama starts when his son returns home angry and disillusioned. He has dropped out of Harvard, and accuses his family of lying to him. All his life his family and teachers have told him that he was smart. But at Harvard, he found he was not as smart as the other students there.
He challenges his father for his choice of career. He is a bit player of no importance. He and his mother play only stereo-type roles, and yet they are proud of their lives. They should be ashamed of themselves.
The drama then involves the resolution of this crisis. I found the ending thought provoking, and came away with the understanding that I do not have to justify my life or actions to any one. I will make my choices and live with the consequences, without guilt and without seeking justification. ‘I don’t need no stinkin’ badges!’
June 4, 2008
Luis Valdez was one of my favorite authors when it came to drama and my work in graduate school for my English masters. If I would have completed the PhD, I probably would have tried to do my dissertation on him or his work, or something dealing with U.S. Latino literature. I did not follow that path, but I certainly was glad to have discovered this writer. Back then, I had to read his "Badges," but I ended up reading other works besides the ones in this anthology. I was reading this during the fall of 1999. The few notes I made in my personal journal back then are mostly academic, so I will leave them there. I do recommend it.
August 21, 2014
What took you so long, Karen? Why did you only just now read this? I have no answer because the plays are inventive and theatrical and moving and funny. Let's all read Luis Valdez.
January 5, 2017
Great playwright! Very entertaining and historically accurate as well.
August 18, 2019
I really enjoyed Zoot Suit and somewhat enjoyed Bandidos. I didn't care for Badges at all.
February 24, 2024
Zoot Suit, by Luis Valdez, is a highly dramatic play which focuses on the wrongful conviction of a group of Chicano men for a murder which they did not commit. Based on a true story, I don't think that this play would have been nearly as historically accurate and effective if it had not been fully produced by Chicanos.
The racial prejudice is set forth almost immediately when a dance is raided in an effort to round up suspects for the previously mentioned murder, and we see white servicemen allowed to walk away freely from the raid, while the Chicanos are detained based solely on their skin color and clothing.
The playwright does an exceptional job demonstrating the gross cultural bias that the Press was responsible for perpetuating in 1940's Los Angeles (and across the country). A newspaper backdrop, bundles of newspapers, constant references to headlines, etc., are all symbolically employed to drive this fact home.
What I don't like about this play has nothing to do with the production, but with the fact that the sentiments expressed within were a reality. Bigoted judges, biased juries, drama-thirsty relentless press agents, police brutality, racial injustice-- these were all things prevalent at the time and which eventually led to the infamous Zoot Suit riots, in which droves of servicemen waged war against the Zoot Suitors during a week of violence that ravaged the city of Los Angeles, and even led to satellite riots across the country.
Valdez captures the tone and mood of the time perfectly, displaying through the main character - Henry Reyna- feelings of family pride, hopelessness, despair, resilience, hope, and defeat. Leaving Reyna's fate open-ended at the end of Act II was also an effective device to illustrate that despite the saga being behind him, Henry's fate could take many paths, and Valdez lets the reader choose which path based on their interpretation of the story and which characters they most identified with.
The racial prejudice is set forth almost immediately when a dance is raided in an effort to round up suspects for the previously mentioned murder, and we see white servicemen allowed to walk away freely from the raid, while the Chicanos are detained based solely on their skin color and clothing.
The playwright does an exceptional job demonstrating the gross cultural bias that the Press was responsible for perpetuating in 1940's Los Angeles (and across the country). A newspaper backdrop, bundles of newspapers, constant references to headlines, etc., are all symbolically employed to drive this fact home.
What I don't like about this play has nothing to do with the production, but with the fact that the sentiments expressed within were a reality. Bigoted judges, biased juries, drama-thirsty relentless press agents, police brutality, racial injustice-- these were all things prevalent at the time and which eventually led to the infamous Zoot Suit riots, in which droves of servicemen waged war against the Zoot Suitors during a week of violence that ravaged the city of Los Angeles, and even led to satellite riots across the country.
Valdez captures the tone and mood of the time perfectly, displaying through the main character - Henry Reyna- feelings of family pride, hopelessness, despair, resilience, hope, and defeat. Leaving Reyna's fate open-ended at the end of Act II was also an effective device to illustrate that despite the saga being behind him, Henry's fate could take many paths, and Valdez lets the reader choose which path based on their interpretation of the story and which characters they most identified with.
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February 25, 2024Luis Valdez’s Zoot Suit, a play directing and exploring the illegal and unjust treatment of Mexican Americans in Los Angeles in the 1940s, is a fascinating one. The story takes place against the backdrop of the infamous Sleepy Lagoon murder trial, in which the protagonists, headed by the charismatic character, El Pachuco, cope with racial issues and identity confusion. In the play, the characters navigate the issue of social conflict that is then explored in depth in the discussions of discrimination, cultural pride, and the struggle for justice.
Zoot Suit is an intriguing play that deftly integrates incisive historical details into a dramatically intense plot. The structure of the play is controlled and poignant, making use of a combination of courtroom drama and flashbacks to reflect a emotional story. The dramatic tension is high, and the audience remains a spectator, with their hearts held in suspense while they await the outcome of the characters’ fates. The plot follows the arc of character development for all the main characters. The central figure, Henry Reyna, goes through the most significant transformation both physically and intellectually within the play.
The impressive point is that the film rings a bell to social justice and racial discrimination. Zoot Suit is a film that really understands its time, and it also shows us the kind of problems that minority groups had to deal with. The language is colorful and vivid and this technique is able to project the personalities of these characters.
Although the dramatization is highly accurate in terms of historical background and societal issues, the structure seems a bit chaotic and, thus, tracing the timeline in the narrative is hardly manageable. Some dialogues could be easily re-constructed if they were more articulated which would create the harmony in the story line. However, the play is a touching embodiment identity and persistence in spite of difficult circumstances.
Zoot Suit is an intriguing play that deftly integrates incisive historical details into a dramatically intense plot. The structure of the play is controlled and poignant, making use of a combination of courtroom drama and flashbacks to reflect a emotional story. The dramatic tension is high, and the audience remains a spectator, with their hearts held in suspense while they await the outcome of the characters’ fates. The plot follows the arc of character development for all the main characters. The central figure, Henry Reyna, goes through the most significant transformation both physically and intellectually within the play.
The impressive point is that the film rings a bell to social justice and racial discrimination. Zoot Suit is a film that really understands its time, and it also shows us the kind of problems that minority groups had to deal with. The language is colorful and vivid and this technique is able to project the personalities of these characters.
Although the dramatization is highly accurate in terms of historical background and societal issues, the structure seems a bit chaotic and, thus, tracing the timeline in the narrative is hardly manageable. Some dialogues could be easily re-constructed if they were more articulated which would create the harmony in the story line. However, the play is a touching embodiment identity and persistence in spite of difficult circumstances.
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February 26, 2024Zoot Suit is a play that discusses the rising tensions in East LA between young Mexican Americans and the LA police department in the early 1940s. With the use of Mexican American language and culture intertwined throughout the play, the story of the 38th Street Gang member trials and zoot suit riots is interestingly told. The play follows the story of Henry Reyna, leader of the 38th Street Gang, and the turmoil that he, his friends, and family endure following him and his gang’s false arrest. Zoot Suit defends the pride of these young gang members and sheds light on the importance of the historical phrase ‘zoot suit’ which the media came to distort in a negative way.
I thought that this play was an interesting read. I thought the way that Chicano culture was integrated into the story telling really solidified the feeling of pride that Mexican Americans have in their culture. I think the way that Valdez was able to tell these grim, yet significant historical moments in LA in the 1940s in such a way where there was still some light brought into the story. Even though I have not seen the play live, the way that pieces of Mexican American culture were so vividly described with such passion, made me feel the importance of the murder trials and zoot suit riots. I also think that because this is the first play of its kind (the only Chicano play to be on broadway), that further emphasized the message of this play, relating back to one of the themes, being racism in this case, and how even with so many strong Latin American artists, actors/actresses, etc., speaking up on the lack of representation in the arts, there aren't more products being produced to bring that representation that is needed, thus, Zoot Suit remains the only play of its kind, not following the trend of more like media being produced after the breakthrough production.
I thought that this play was an interesting read. I thought the way that Chicano culture was integrated into the story telling really solidified the feeling of pride that Mexican Americans have in their culture. I think the way that Valdez was able to tell these grim, yet significant historical moments in LA in the 1940s in such a way where there was still some light brought into the story. Even though I have not seen the play live, the way that pieces of Mexican American culture were so vividly described with such passion, made me feel the importance of the murder trials and zoot suit riots. I also think that because this is the first play of its kind (the only Chicano play to be on broadway), that further emphasized the message of this play, relating back to one of the themes, being racism in this case, and how even with so many strong Latin American artists, actors/actresses, etc., speaking up on the lack of representation in the arts, there aren't more products being produced to bring that representation that is needed, thus, Zoot Suit remains the only play of its kind, not following the trend of more like media being produced after the breakthrough production.
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February 26, 2024Zoot Suit is a play based on the true story of Henry Leyvas who was accused of murder in 1940s Los Angeles.
The play itself follows Henry Reyna, a young Chicano who recently joined the Navy. Henry battles his inner turmoil of wanting to be his chicano, “Pachuco” self, and wanting to be honorable to his country. Henry is falsely accused of murder, and the play highlights the trials, headlines and racism. The title of Zoot Suit is an emphasis of the style of clothing worn by Chicanos in LA. Zoot Suiters were targeted as gangs members based on the clothing worn. Police viewed them as defiant and people such as Henry Reyna were falsely imprisoned.
The play does a great job of showcasing the inner battle Reyna about how to stay true to himself. I enjoyed how the playwright Luis Valdez utilizes Pachuco’s narration as another embodiment of Reyna. He is the “bad side” of his self. Valdez does a great job of making you feel angry for the mistreatment of the Chicano people during this era. They were targeted as gang members based on the clothing they wore. The trials in the play show how unfair the judicial system truly was. Chicanos had no voice during these times and it was not until the zoo suit riots that they began to be heard. I did feel that the play can be difficult to follow at times as the structure and explanation of setting isn’t straightforward. I do think that the usage of Spanish can make it difficult for non Spanish speakers to follow along. I understand the impact the usage of Spanish has for the message, but when we want all to understand the importance of it, I think the usage of a flow up line in English translation would be helpful for them to feel the impact of the play. I also loved the musical numbers and how they added depth to Henry’s mental conflict. It added a beautiful touch of culture to the story.
The play itself follows Henry Reyna, a young Chicano who recently joined the Navy. Henry battles his inner turmoil of wanting to be his chicano, “Pachuco” self, and wanting to be honorable to his country. Henry is falsely accused of murder, and the play highlights the trials, headlines and racism. The title of Zoot Suit is an emphasis of the style of clothing worn by Chicanos in LA. Zoot Suiters were targeted as gangs members based on the clothing worn. Police viewed them as defiant and people such as Henry Reyna were falsely imprisoned.
The play does a great job of showcasing the inner battle Reyna about how to stay true to himself. I enjoyed how the playwright Luis Valdez utilizes Pachuco’s narration as another embodiment of Reyna. He is the “bad side” of his self. Valdez does a great job of making you feel angry for the mistreatment of the Chicano people during this era. They were targeted as gang members based on the clothing they wore. The trials in the play show how unfair the judicial system truly was. Chicanos had no voice during these times and it was not until the zoo suit riots that they began to be heard. I did feel that the play can be difficult to follow at times as the structure and explanation of setting isn’t straightforward. I do think that the usage of Spanish can make it difficult for non Spanish speakers to follow along. I understand the impact the usage of Spanish has for the message, but when we want all to understand the importance of it, I think the usage of a flow up line in English translation would be helpful for them to feel the impact of the play. I also loved the musical numbers and how they added depth to Henry’s mental conflict. It added a beautiful touch of culture to the story.
February 26, 2024
This review will be focusing on the Zoot Suits portion of the paperback.
Zoot suits is a play set in the 1940s, at a time where racial profiling and social injustice is heavily present in America. Our main subject, Henry, a leader of an LA gang, faces the challenges of an unfair law. Having being framed for murder, Henry faces ethnic discrimination and the spits to the face that come from the law, all while protecting his ideals, identity, values, friends, and family. This play is about the protection of truth, and sticking true to yourself.
In review of the playwright, everyone in Henry's life become intertwined and affected in this long, dramatic fight. It's amazing to see the sort of development Henry has and the stubbornness he bring to the table, sticking true and honest to how he perceives himself. The problem is how others are suddenly pulled into it because of his choices, the way the drama plays out and has the characters suffer. It becomes stupidly apparent when, at one point in the play, they face the trial system. Trying to avoid spoilers, this event mimics a lot of today's judgements in crime in terms of dishonesty and hasty injustice. It was personally the biggest emotional heightening watching how this event unfolded, and it was a huge arc in drama to remember. Much of the play was not time wasted, and the diverse character inputs, clashing altogether, was mesmerizing. I enjoyed my thorough reading of the play, and recommend it for anyone willing to take a peak into the hardships of before. It feels like a critique of our time and what we should be looking out for in terms of identity and truth. The messages I pulled from this read was to have pride, have joy in your identity, and to be honest and true no matter what.
Zoot suits is a play set in the 1940s, at a time where racial profiling and social injustice is heavily present in America. Our main subject, Henry, a leader of an LA gang, faces the challenges of an unfair law. Having being framed for murder, Henry faces ethnic discrimination and the spits to the face that come from the law, all while protecting his ideals, identity, values, friends, and family. This play is about the protection of truth, and sticking true to yourself.
In review of the playwright, everyone in Henry's life become intertwined and affected in this long, dramatic fight. It's amazing to see the sort of development Henry has and the stubbornness he bring to the table, sticking true and honest to how he perceives himself. The problem is how others are suddenly pulled into it because of his choices, the way the drama plays out and has the characters suffer. It becomes stupidly apparent when, at one point in the play, they face the trial system. Trying to avoid spoilers, this event mimics a lot of today's judgements in crime in terms of dishonesty and hasty injustice. It was personally the biggest emotional heightening watching how this event unfolded, and it was a huge arc in drama to remember. Much of the play was not time wasted, and the diverse character inputs, clashing altogether, was mesmerizing. I enjoyed my thorough reading of the play, and recommend it for anyone willing to take a peak into the hardships of before. It feels like a critique of our time and what we should be looking out for in terms of identity and truth. The messages I pulled from this read was to have pride, have joy in your identity, and to be honest and true no matter what.
February 26, 2024
Zoot Suit takes you back to Los Angeles in the 1940s when the Zoot Riots unfolded. Henry Reyna and his peers are constantly fighting racial tensions, identity, and societal pressures. During World War II, the play takes you on an observation of how the media and legal system had a major contribution to the accusation of the Chicano youth. As these youths' worlds collide with the military and justice system, discrimination becomes very powerful.
Zoot Suit is a very well-written play that takes you into a history of personal stories captivating you to want and read more. The author Valdez chose a unique way to tell the story, mixing action and deep feelings into the text which leads you to relate to the story. Henry's journey dealing with pride loyalty and chaos at the same time is very relatable. The language used helps bring this era to life, it takes the reader back to the 1940s and helps you visualize life then, making the story feel real. What stood out to me the most is that the historical background of the story isn't just to help you visualize but is a major part of understanding the challenges that Chicanos faced during the Zoot Suit Riots. This reveals major discrimination towards Chicanos and shows the effects that it had making you feel bad about what they had to deal with which will give you a sense of care throughout the text. Not only did this enlighten me about the past but it also brought to the surface ongoing discrimination, racial, etc, issues that we deal with today. This story brought history to life and shows what it means to be human in this world. Valdez did an amazing job storytelling Zoot Suit and showing what the characters dealt with bringing this story to life.
Zoot Suit is a very well-written play that takes you into a history of personal stories captivating you to want and read more. The author Valdez chose a unique way to tell the story, mixing action and deep feelings into the text which leads you to relate to the story. Henry's journey dealing with pride loyalty and chaos at the same time is very relatable. The language used helps bring this era to life, it takes the reader back to the 1940s and helps you visualize life then, making the story feel real. What stood out to me the most is that the historical background of the story isn't just to help you visualize but is a major part of understanding the challenges that Chicanos faced during the Zoot Suit Riots. This reveals major discrimination towards Chicanos and shows the effects that it had making you feel bad about what they had to deal with which will give you a sense of care throughout the text. Not only did this enlighten me about the past but it also brought to the surface ongoing discrimination, racial, etc, issues that we deal with today. This story brought history to life and shows what it means to be human in this world. Valdez did an amazing job storytelling Zoot Suit and showing what the characters dealt with bringing this story to life.
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February 27, 2023Zoot Suit is a play that brings fact and fantasy together to tell a story of young men and women in 1942. Zoot suits are forms of expression to the chicano culture, however the way of dressing is not seen as an expression from the justice system. The justice system sees zoot suitors as delinquents, as people who commit crime, and draft dodgers. This form of view from the system damages the image of the zoot suiters. Particularly focusing on Henry, the leader of the 38th Street gang, who eventually ends up falsely accused of a crime he did not commit.
Henry changes when he wears the zoot suit because he sees it as a form of expression and power. El Pachuco is the very embodiment of the zoot suit as well as the power that backs Henry. When a murder occurs at the Sleepy Lagoon, a swimming pool where rival gangs fight for, Henry is accused of committing the crime. The justice system needed someone to blame, and having a history of crime as well as being a zoot suiter, Henry is wrongfully blamed.
Zoot suiters were looked down upon because of the amount of fabric that was used to make the suits. During the time of war, military personnel needed fabric to make uniforms and other needs. People, as well as the justice system, would start seeing the zoot suiters as delinquents and people who avoided the draft. This created a negative image for the zoot suiters, who would dress in this way to express themselves and possibly express their defiance to those who saw these as lesser than because of their ethnicity. This play does show historical context by actually using language and talking of the murders that occurred during the height of the zoot suit culture.
Henry changes when he wears the zoot suit because he sees it as a form of expression and power. El Pachuco is the very embodiment of the zoot suit as well as the power that backs Henry. When a murder occurs at the Sleepy Lagoon, a swimming pool where rival gangs fight for, Henry is accused of committing the crime. The justice system needed someone to blame, and having a history of crime as well as being a zoot suiter, Henry is wrongfully blamed.
Zoot suiters were looked down upon because of the amount of fabric that was used to make the suits. During the time of war, military personnel needed fabric to make uniforms and other needs. People, as well as the justice system, would start seeing the zoot suiters as delinquents and people who avoided the draft. This created a negative image for the zoot suiters, who would dress in this way to express themselves and possibly express their defiance to those who saw these as lesser than because of their ethnicity. This play does show historical context by actually using language and talking of the murders that occurred during the height of the zoot suit culture.
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February 25, 2024The true story based on Henry Reyna being accused of murder on Jose Gallardo Diaz was found dead in the Sleepy Lagoon in 1943. He was seventeen when the police arrested him. The police arrested young Mexican-American men for processing or incriminating evidence. The zoot suit was made as stereotypical clothing because of the violent young men based on the street. In Los Angeles the Zoot Suit riots started escalating because the white servicemen and citizens made people that are zoot suit targets were misplaced for violence. This was the first Chicano play on Broadway in 1979. The zoot suit symbolizes defiance while the police and press see it as misconduct.
This play was very interesting because you get to learn and understand what these young men went through. Even though Henry was Mexican-American and a criminal he still wanted to serve his country. He was made fun of from the Zoot Gang because he wanted to serve. The play was a great read and I bet it was great to see it in person as well. It was good to understand how its based on the Zoot Suit riots and what happened will all the young men in Chicano.
This play was very interesting because you get to learn and understand what these young men went through. Even though Henry was Mexican-American and a criminal he still wanted to serve his country. He was made fun of from the Zoot Gang because he wanted to serve. The play was a great read and I bet it was great to see it in person as well. It was good to understand how its based on the Zoot Suit riots and what happened will all the young men in Chicano.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2024
I really liked Bandido, was okay with Zoot Suit, and really disliked the last play. Overall, I would just read Bandido if I had to read this again. I'm not a huge play guy either which may play a part in why I didn't really like it as a whole.
May 25, 2019
In Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit, the zoot suit has numerous obvious and subtle implications. The zoot suit is a conspicuous outfit that numerous Chicano gangsters wore so as to pick up the acknowledgment of the police and the general population of Los Angeles. The young men's relatives trust that the zoot suit symbolizes defiance while police offers and press see it as misconduct. The young men of the Thirty-eighth Street Gang, who appreciate the zoot suits, view the zoot suit as engaging. In the play, there is a conflict of sentiments with respect to whether the zoot suit speaks to power or wrongdoing.
The zoot suit helps numerous Chicano young men of the Thirty-eighth Street Gang recognize themselves with the different young men as they face separation and animosity from the Downey Gang and cops. In the start of the play, El Pachuco, who is Henry Reyna's change sense of self, communicates his thankfulness and energy for the zoot suit. He portrays putting on a zoot suit, "… makes [Chicancos] feel genuine root resemble a jewel, shimmering, shinning… " (Valdez 1.1.3). Instead of concealing, El Pachuco shows himself as though he is a transmit jewel that all can grovel over on the grounds that he dresses in style, and thusly should directions regard. The zoot suit gives the young men the certainty and swagger to pick up regard from their individual young men and the Downey pack, an adversary gathering. The young men utilize the zoot suit as a uniform symbolizing the philosophy of a gathering of people battling for the shared objective which was Chicano pride.
The zoot suit helps numerous Chicano young men of the Thirty-eighth Street Gang recognize themselves with the different young men as they face separation and animosity from the Downey Gang and cops. In the start of the play, El Pachuco, who is Henry Reyna's change sense of self, communicates his thankfulness and energy for the zoot suit. He portrays putting on a zoot suit, "… makes [Chicancos] feel genuine root resemble a jewel, shimmering, shinning… " (Valdez 1.1.3). Instead of concealing, El Pachuco shows himself as though he is a transmit jewel that all can grovel over on the grounds that he dresses in style, and thusly should directions regard. The zoot suit gives the young men the certainty and swagger to pick up regard from their individual young men and the Downey pack, an adversary gathering. The young men utilize the zoot suit as a uniform symbolizing the philosophy of a gathering of people battling for the shared objective which was Chicano pride.
November 17, 2008
Though I really enjoyed the dancing and singing in the 1981 film adaptation, I gotta say I was underwhelmed by the play on the page. Just finished teaching this, and after plays like August Wilson's "Fences" and Brecht's "Mother Courage," I was struck by how undramatic this is. Valdez does such a good job of setting up a Brechtian distance that I never really believe that anything bad will happen to the characters. Even if the audience isn't supposed to be able to identify with the characters, I still want to feel a sense of narrative tension, to feel that there's something at stake. Some very cool moments occur in the episodic framework, though, and I dig the way Valdez weaves calo dialect into the dialogue.
May 24, 2019
In the play “Zoot Suit” by Luis Valdez, we see a Mexican American struggling with accepting the reality of the injustices that are targeted towards him and finding hope in the darkness that consumes him throughout the play.The play is set in Los Angeles during World War 2 which sets the tone for racism and patriotism.The protagonist is trying to be an American but at the same time he shows pride in being a Zoot Suiter. A Zoot Suiter is a person who is wearing a Zoot suit that requires a lot of fabric,this is seen as unpatriotic because the U.S army would have needed the fabric more for uniforms for the War. I would recommend this play because it really shines a light at the dark history that isn't usually taught in schools.
July 6, 2015
three studies in Chicano identity politics. explores different ways in which ethnic roles are created and carried out, either in news, courthouse, mythology, or television and film. characters react to and struggle against depictions, and other than personal safety or sanity, family is the thing most at risk of being destroyed by racial pressure. making the case that non-white Americans are too easily portrayed as non-Americans.
themes, devices: melodrama, play within a play, metacommentary, dark humor, racial/ethnic identity, American exceptionalism, violence, intolerance, nativism, social justice, importance of types of music in theater, role playing/acting
themes, devices: melodrama, play within a play, metacommentary, dark humor, racial/ethnic identity, American exceptionalism, violence, intolerance, nativism, social justice, importance of types of music in theater, role playing/acting
May 24, 2019
In play Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez, the setting was taken place in the past. I really liked this play because it has a lot of characters in it and the book it has role for every single one of the characters. This book isn’t for everyone but I do recommend it to everyone to read it, or at least give it a try because if you do, you won’t regret it. This book taught me a lot things especially some of the good things for example in play if you were a Pachuco, you will not be or get respected. You will get treated very bad and no matter what in the play every Pachuco kept going and didn’t give up.
March 20, 2011
IF you enjoy reading a decent drama once in a while, this one will do the trick. The beginning threw me off since the dialogues were frequently written in Spanish slang. But as soon as I got into the story (which is based on the Sleepy lagoon murder trials), I liked this one. The ending especially has such a strong message and triggered interest in me to learn more about the zoot suiters in the 30s and 40s. Overall, this was a good read but, honestly, I probably would not have read it had I not assigned it in one of my classes. I prefer watching plays being performed on stage.
April 16, 2012
FANTASTIC!!!!!! I just finished Zoot Suit and I could not put it down. The racial intolerance and injustice faced by these Mexican Americans makes you want to scream! The play is fictional, but is based off of the events surrounding the Sleep Lagoon Murder Trial of 1942 where a group of Chicano boys were wrongly accused and convicted of murder. These events and others escalated in the Zoot Suit Riots in 1943. This play is short, less than 100 pages - I would definitely recommend reading or seeing it!
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January 9, 2009This book has three plays written by Luis Valdez, about the Latino's in the South. The play zoot suit has themes of racism, love, and pride. Zoot Suit was a populare suit wore by mostly Latins, and riots were born on the issue of these suits. People were killed hurt and scared for just weraing this specifi suit. A law was even set to force people not wear this suit, i enjoyed this book. And I would rad this book again.
February 6, 2012
It was not because of the subject matter that I disliked this play. It had a good story line (I'm referring to Zoot Suit here), but I don't think the writing was particularly well executed. Maybe it's a cultural thing that I would have trouble relating to, which is admittedly a good possibility, but I found this play lacking in something that I can't quite put my finger on. I understood the message, but there was a lot of telling, as opposed to showing.
May 17, 2008
Hispanic American theatre taking place in the 1940s, but written in the late 70s. Really captivating and you feel deeply with the characters. It deals with the marginalization of "Chicanos" and contains influences from Spanish drama and indigenous practices. The Chicano theatre movement coincided with the civil rights movements.
October 15, 2009
I'm going to be in a four person adaptation of this in the spring. Thought the female characters were pretty weak. Really liked the use of newspapers in the staging. I think it will be an interesting time period and cultural moment to explore. Tried to read another play in the book but the author's note was so pretentious that I couldn't do it.
August 11, 2009
The seminal Chicano play and I loved it! I taught it this summer, having never read or encountered it before and I was mad that I wasn't taught it before. However, se la vie...I will fix that as an instructor in the future. It is a must read for Brecht fans and fans of the movie La Bamba (same playwright).
October 12, 2014
I introduced this play to my students, and they all loved it! It drew them in right away, especially when they realized that this play is based on fact. This play sparked an interest in our justice system and was used as a precursor to The Innocence Project and eventually to our next novel To Kill A Mockingbird.
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