Moderated by Oscar Garza, Editor-in-Chief, Tu Ciudad Magazine

Thirty years ago, the Mark Taper Forum presented the world premiere of “Zoot Suit,” a musical about a dark chapter in 1940s L.A. Written and directed by Luis Valdez of El Teatro Campesino, the groundbreaking production marked the first time a major American theater had explored the Mexican-American experience. The Taper was rewarded with record-breaking crowds, including many Mexican-Americans who were setting foot on the Music Center grounds for the first time. The play went on to a brief run on Broadway, and then was filmed for a theatrical release. Valdez went on to direct the highly successful “La Bamba” (1987), which showed Hollywood that there was an audience for Latino stories. But after an unsuccessful attempt in the early 1990s to direct a biopic about Frida Kahlo, Valdez retreated to Teatro Campesino’s home in San Juan Bautista, where the company continues to produce the socially-relevant theater that made it famous. Valdez visits Zócalo on the 30th anniversary of the premiere of “Zoot Suit.”