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    Zoot Suit and Other Plays
    Zoot Suit and Other Plays
    Zoot Suit and Other Plays
    Ebook300 pages3 hours

    Zoot Suit and Other Plays

    By Luis Valdez

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    This critically acclaimed play by Luis Valdez cracks open the depiction of Chicanos on 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, cutting his way through the drop curtain with a switchblade, Luis Valdez spurred a revolution in Chicano theater.
    Focusing on the events surrounding the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial of 1942 and the ensuing Zuit Soot Riots that turned Los Angeles into a bloody war zone, this is a gritty and vivid depiction of the horrifying violence and racism suffered by young Mexican Americans on the home front during World War II. Valdez’s cadre of young urban characters struggle with the stereotypes and generalizations of America’s dominant culture, the questions of assimilation and patriotism, and a desire to rebel against the mainstream pressures that threaten to wipe them out.
    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 1940’s was the first, and only, Chicano play to open on Broadway.
    This collection contains 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArte Público Press
    Release dateAug 31, 2018
    ISBN9781611924985
    Zoot Suit and Other Plays

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    Reviews for Zoot Suit and Other Plays

    4/5

    28 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Three plays about the experience of Mexican-Americans in California. Some are based on historical incidents, others are strictly creations of the author. The author portrays the lives and experiences of ordinary people, mixed with some individuals who have attained the status of legend, either as bandits or gangsters, and creates stories that are compelling. The surreal, non-linear storytelling will not be for everyone, but it actually creates an atmosphere that suits the stories. Not necessarily easy reading, with the mixture of Spanish and English, but worth the effort.
    • 4/5
      This might be a little wacky for some people, but the political satire incorporated into this book (specifically Zoot Suit) is what makes it interesting. If you want something entertaining and educational, give this a shot.
    • 4/5
      Zoot Suit was a little hard to understand because of the use of Spanish and Spanish slang from the 1940s. A coworker helped me with some translations. Watching a dramatised version of the play brought the whole concept together and I was able to absorb the action and emotions. The story is about a group of pachucos and pachucas (as zoot suiters were known) who was wrongfully arrested and tried for a murder. The press and law enforcement conspired to vilify these young people who flaunted the efforts to conserve material for soldiers by designing clothes that were oversized. Blame for society's problems was placed on these young people who were portrayed as lovers of dance and patriots willing to fight for their country.
    • 5/5
      I really love Luis Valez's writing style. My favorite of the plays, of course, was Zoot Suit, which I actually got to see live last week. I love all the characters that he portrays and how the plays cover so many controversial issues from the past and from today.

    Book preview

    Zoot Suit and Other Plays - Luis Valdez

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