The Mexican American Experience, a radio program produced by the Longhorn Radio Network, includes interviews, music, and informational programs related to the Mexican American community and their concerns. Program summary: Dr. Jorge Huerta, a professor of drama, discusses the development of Chicano theatre. Host Linda Fregoso first describes the history of Latino theatre, from the post-Conquest religious plays, to the vaudeville era, and then the Chicano Theatre of the 1960s. Huerta then explains the early theatrical work of Luis Valdez and his actos, which clearly delineated the good characters (often farm workers) from the bad (the growers). He explains that while other minority groups had theatre traditions, Chicanos theatre was unique because of its language and because of it lack of repertoire. Many of the productions were based on improvisation. Chicano Theatre often dealt with the subject of self-identity and Huerta discusses the differences between the term Mexicans, Mexican-American and Chicano. He then talks about the Chicano Movement's interest in its indigenous roots and its impact on Chicano theatre. Valdez was particularly invested in using his plays to educate Chicanos about their spiritual roots and Huerta talks about the spiritual implications of his play 'La Carpa de los Rasquachis' which blended Mayan and Christian cosmographies. Huerta then talks about the development of Chicano theatres. He explains that there are different types, such as Chicano community theatre and Chicano theatre companies, and talks the particularities of each. He notes that to be successful, Chicano theatres must reach out to a broad audience. Keywords: Actos, African Americans, Agitprop, Assimilation, Audiences, Aztecs, No Saco Nada de Escuela, Black Theater, Chicano Indigenous Heritage, Chicano Literature, Chicano Movement, Chicano Theatre, Chicano Theatre: Themes and Forms, Chicanos in Higher Education, Commedia dell'arte, Community Theatre, Corky Gonzalez, Cuba, Drama, Education, El Salvador, Expatriates, Farm Workers, Feminist Theatre, Fidel Castro, Gay Theatre, Huitzilopochtli, Human Sacrifice, I am Joaquin, Improvisation, Jorge Huerta, La Carpa de los Rasquachis, Latinos, Liz Ramirez, Los Angeles, Luis Valdez, Marxism, Maya, Media Representations of Chicanos, Middle Class, Missionaries, Myths, Nomenclature, Panama, Pensamiento Serpentino, Pochos, Popol Vuh, Quetzalcoatl, Raisin in the Sun, Ray Dunbar, Religion, Religious Plays, San Francisco, San Juan Baptista, Self-Identity, Skits, Socially Conscious Art, Spirituality, Stereotypes, Teatro de Esperanza, Teatro de los Pobres, Tent Theatre, Uncle Tom, Unions, University of California Los Angeles, Vaudeville, Virgin de Guadalupe, Zoot. Broadcast date: 1982-04-16.
Creator/Contributor:
Longhorn Radio Network (creator), Fregoso, Rosa Linda. (host), and Huerta, Jorge A. (interviewee)
Date Created/Date Issued:
3/26/1982
Owning Repository:
Benson Latin American Collection, LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, The University of Texas at Austin