Zoot Suit: A Bilingual Edition

Luis Valdez

Nov 2004 · Arte Publico Press

About this eBook

This bilingual edition combines the original English-language version with the first-ever Spanish translation of the critically acclaimed play by Luis Valdez, a work that cracked open the depiction of Chicanos on the stage, challenging viewers to revisit a troubled moment in our nation's history. From the moment the myth-infused character El Pachuco burst onto the stage, literally cutting his way through the drop curtain with a switchblade, Valdez spurred a revolution in Chicano theater. Experimenting with brash forms of narration, pop culture of the war era, and complex characterizations, this quintessential exploration of the Mexican-American experience in the United States during the 1940s was the first, and only, Chicano play to open on Broadway.

About the author

LUIS VALDEZ is acknowledged as the founder of modern Chicano theatre and film. He was born to migrant farm workers and spent his early life traveling and working in the fields. He eventually found himself at San Jose State College, where his play ñThe Shrunken Head of Pancho Villaî was staged in 1964. He later joined the United Farm Workers and staged improvisational theatre with the help of union actors to further their causes. This work lead to the formation of his theater group, El Teatro Campesino, which produced most of ValdezÍ early plays in both the US and Europe. His account of racism in 1940s Los Angeles, Zoot Suit (Arte PÏblico Press, 1981), was released in 1982, and was the first play by a Mexican American to be performed on Broadway. His film ñLa Bambaî (1987), the tragic story of singer Ritchie Valens, proved wildly successful and launched the screen careers of Lou Diamond Philips and Esai Morales. He has also written another collection of plays, The Mummified Deer and Other Plays (Arte PÏblico Press, 2005), and a compilation of his works, Luis Valdez ? Early Works, was published by Arte PÏblico Press in 1990. He is a faculty member and the founding director of the Teledramatic Arts and Technology Department at California State University, Monterey Bay. He continues to travel extensively while remaining true to his Chicano theatrical roots.