Lecture 6--Literature as Social Protest: The Actos of Luis Valdez & El Teatro Campesino

With a reading of Luis Valdez's play "No Saco Nada de la Escuela" (rough translation: I don't get anything out of school), we're continuing with some of the elements of oral literature we discussed with Baca's poetry. To fully appreciate theater, I believe, one must experience it, so I'm hoping you will be able to approach this week's reading assignment as a performance. If not, search for a play or film by Valdez at your local library or video store. I have put a copy of the 30-minute play "Los Vendidos" (The Sell-outs) on reserve in the Gavilan library, or you may be able to rent Zoot Suit or La Bamba at your local video store. (Did you know, La Bamba features the life of local Rudy Valenzuela, and his family contributed a great deal to the film.)

Before watching or reading one of Valdez's plays or films, it's helpful to have know how and why he originally developed his actos (short plays) and what he was trying to accomplish. In his introduction to the collection of plays Early Works (published by Arte Publico Press), Valdez describes the birth of his "farmworkers' theater," El Teatro Campesino, in the fields of Delano in 1965 when Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and others were forming the United Farmworkers Union. According to Valdez, the farmworkers' struggle for better wages, benefits, and working conditions "became food for thought, material for actos" (11). By dramatizing the farmworkers' struggle, Valdez and the actors who formed the collective of El Teatro Campesino, hoped to raise awareness and incite others to become involved in the struggle. Valdez writes: "Satire became a weapon that was soon aimed at known and despised contractors, growers, and mayordomos" (11). The short plays were performed on the back of pick-up trucks or in union halls and aimed at an audience unused to viewing theater. El Teatro developed a form of theater that incorporated dialogue improvised from conversations with the workers themselves and used masks and highly dramatic speech and gestures. The work of El Teatro has its origins in the ancient rituals and literature of Aztlan, as well as early Commedia del Arte and the contemporary guerilla theater of groups like the San Francisco Mime Troupe and Bread and Puppet Theater.

When reading an acto, then, it's important to consider the social context and intended political message of the work. Valdez lists the following goals for his actos: "Inspire the audience to social action. Illuminate specific points about social problems. Satirize the opposition. Show or hint at a solution. Express what people are feeling" (12). The play you'll be reading this week, "No Saco Nada de la Escuela," was created by the company and first performed in 1969. Around the world, at that time, students were rising up protesting against the war in Vietnam, to criticize oppressive regimes, or to increase curricular diversity on their campuses. This play looks at the racism students were experiencing in the schools at a time when Spanish-speaking students, for example, were punished for speaking their first language at school. As you read the play, keep this historical context in mind and ask what Valdez intended for us to know about how the schools at the time were affecting all young people and their relationships to each other, to their teachers, and to the schools they attended.

As you read, keep in mind the general elements of oral delivery:

Rhythm: the pattern of sounds (or beats)  

Rate: the speed of delivery

Tone or mood: the emotion or feeling expressed

Volume: loud or soft

Gesture: physical or facial expressions

Try reading the play (or parts of it) aloud, exaggerating the speech and mannerisms of the characters. If you meet with another person or a small group to read the play aloud, send me a report of your experience and you will receive extra credit.

 After reading the play, talk about what the play's creators hoped audiences would learn about the conditions in schools and what people might DO about those conditions. Think about what parts of the play still have relevance today. Perhaps check out a copy of the collection Early Works (on reserve at the Gavilan library) and read some of the other actos. Or check out books or articles on the theater, such as El Teatro Campesino: Theater in the Chicano Movement, by Yolanda Royles Gonzales, or Taking It to the Streets: The Social Proest Theater of Luis Valdez and Amirir Baraka, by Harry Elam. You may also check for resources on Valdez and El Teatro Campesino on the internet. As always, post your comments, questions, responses to our forum. Enjoy!

Note: Link here to the play "No Saco Nada de la Escuela," which is available online or from my office.