 |
|
|
April 2008
Zoot Suit: Where History, Theater and Culture Meet
The first Chicano musical to hit Broadway gets the Pomona treatment.
|
|
|
By Adam Conner-Simons ‘08
When most college students hear the phrase "Zoot
Suit Riot," they think first and foremost of the catchy swing tune by
the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. However, Pomona theater professor Alma
Martinez, who is directing the upcoming production of Zoot Suit,
is hoping to change that association and bring awareness to the
real-life riots that are an oft-forgotten but nevertheless essential
part of Chicano history.
The Pomona production poster is designed by Ignacio
Gomez. |
|
|
|
|
|
Zoot Suit, written by the legendary playwright Luis Valdez,
has not been shown in the Los Angeles area since its 1978 premiere. Now,
three decades later, the protective Valdez is allowing Martinez, who
acted in the original musical and its 1981 film version, to stage the
play once again. Zoot Suit will be performed at Pomona's Seaver
Theater April 3 through 13.
To commemorate the show's 30th
anniversary, the theater department has invited members of the original
cast and crew on campus to see the opening night performance, including
Valdez, his son Daniel (Zoot Suit's composer), and actor Edward
James Olmos, who played El Pachuco on both Broadway and in the 1981 film
version. All three, as well as Martinez, will also speak at an
invitation-only dinner at the CMC Athenaeum.
The first Chicano-produced musical to hit Broadway,
Zoot Suit depicts the "Sleepy Lagoon" trials that preceded the
Zoot Suit Riots, in which a group of pachucos (Mexican-American
gang members) were wrongly convicted of murder charges. The politically
charged theme imbues the production with a particularly strong relevance
for the cast. "You can relate a lot of [the play] to immigration issues
and what's going on now," said Claremont McKenna sophomore Eric
Trujillo, who plays Jose Castro.
The cast rehearses their dance moves. |
|
|
|
|
|
For the students in the cast, few of whom were
familiar with the story of the Zoot Suit Riots, the past three months of
working 15-hour weeks have proven to be a lesson in both theater and
history. In the first weeks of rehearsal, Martinez assigned readings
about the Sleepy Lagoon trials and screened the movie for the cast.
Students agree that her intimacy with the material makes her enthusiasm
for the musical contagious. "She doesn’t just want the play to be good,"
said Scripps sophomore Caroline Almy, who plays a member of the "Pachuco
Trio." "It's really for her community."
The tone of the musical is alternately somber and
playful, while the hazy narrative structure often blurs the line between
reality and fantasy. "I think of it as a comedy," Trujillo said. "It's
often light-hearted, but it also gets its message across."
Says Claremont McKenna junior Camilo Cuellar, who
plays the main role of El Pachuco: "I view it as a focused wake-up call,
so people see what happened to these people."
The cast is excited about
the eclectic mix of students taking part in the production, from
seasoned theater majors to newbie actors wanting to learn more about
their Chicano roots. Despite a wide variety of backgrounds, the cast has
clicked in a way that few expected. "I've never been with a group
of actors that was this tight," Almy said. "We're forging these
cross-cultural relationships that I normally wouldn’t have found."
Theater professor Alma Martinez starred with Edward
James Olmos in the original theater production and movie. This promotional photo is from
the film. |
|
|
|
|
|
Particularly important for individuals involved in
the production is the potential impact of Zoot Suit on a new
generation of students unaware of this part of American history. Many
cast members cite the significance of the musical to both entertain and
educate, and Martinez has echoed such sentiments with her decision to
set aside 1,000 reduced-price tickets--with accompanying "study guides"
about the riots--for Southern California high school students. "While we're
creating this production, we are in a sense creating this history
because so many young people don't know about it," said Pomona sophomore
Tammy Zhu, who plays a newsgirl.
Zoot Suit will be performed April 3 to 5 and
April 10 to 12 at 8 p.m., as well as April 5, 6, 12 and 13 at 2 p.m.
The play has sold out quickly, but waiting lists will be open to
walk-ups one hour before each show in case people who reserved tickets
do not arrive.
Zoot Suit is part of The Claremont College’s
Cesar Chavez Month celebration, which Pomona is hosting this year.
Zoot Suit-related events include the photography exhibit "LA in the
Zoot Suit Era" at the Smith Campus Center Gallery, which is open through
April 13. A second exhibit, "Ignacio Gómez: a 30-Year Retrospective,"
features artwork by the creator of the original Zoot Suit film
poster and is running through April 11 at Pitzer’s Salathe Gallery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Follow Our News on... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quick Links |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Explore Pomona's Web |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Find It |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Search |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
