Lessons from the Heart with Famed Playwright at CSUSB

Famed American playwright, writer, producer, film director and instructor Luis Valdez shared his presentation, “The Power of Zero: Fifty Years of Teatro Campesino,” at Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday, Nov. 5. The presentation was open to the public, from 4-5 p.m. in Obershaw Dining Room. Members of CSUSB’s Acto Latino Teatro Universitario and their adviser, Bibiana Díaz-Rodríguez, assistant professor in the Department of World Languages and Literature, organized the event. Valdez is credited as the 'Father' of Chicano theater in the United States. His most well-known work includes his play “Zoot Suit” and the movie “La Bamba.” Valdez is widely recognized for creating the Teatro Campesino genre in the mid-1960s. Valdez incorporated the short one-act play style, also known as the “Acto,” to share humorous stories with social and political commentary that would entertain and educate migrant farm workers. Valdez spoke on the history and influences of Teatro Campesino Theater. In his discussion, he talked about the influences of Mayan culture and the solar calendar in conjunction with life events. Valdez then broke down the philosophy of “Actos” that he uses when teaching his theater students. While discussing his philosophy, Valdez intertwined personal anecdotes about growing up in Stratlord, Calif. and his introduction to theater in elementary school. He also shared moments of working with Cesar Chavez. At length, the undertones of the presentation and his personal memories were to encourage the idea of creatively transforming negative moments into positive ones. He concluded his presentation with sharing the value of community efforts stating, “We all have a responsibility to help our communities.” He ended with a poem repeated in three languages. CSUSB student, Maria Terrazas, who attended the presentation with her Spanish 703 peers, felt she connected personally to Valdez. “As a Hispanic American, I felt like I had a connection. Growing up, my parents were considered lower class. I felt that we had that in common,” Terrazas said. “I found his speech inspirational. This movement is fifty years in the making. It showed me that despite wherever you come from, anything is possible. People say that all the time, but hearing his story made me think about it more deeply.” Luis Valdez was ecstatic to celebrate CSUSB’s 50th anniversary and speak on Teatro Campesino Theater. “It’s my privilege to be back on this campus. It’s been about thirty years. I am impressed by the changes and growth that have happened. It is great to see a new generation of students here. San Bernardino I feel has one of the most diverse populations, culturally. My hope is the students on campus will continue to reach out and give to their community.”