Reviews

Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luis Valdez

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melissaamy7's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kaelynrothe's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jackiereadsalot's review against another edition

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Zoot Suit is a play based on the true story of Henry Leyvas who was accused of murder in 1940s Los Angeles.

The play itself follows Henry Reyna, a young Chicano who recently joined the Navy. Henry battles his inner turmoil of wanting to be his chicano, “Pachuco” self, and wanting to be honorable to his country. Henry is falsely accused of murder, and the play highlights the trials, headlines and racism. The title of Zoot Suit is an emphasis of the style of clothing worn by Chicanos in LA. Zoot Suiters were targeted as gangs members based on the clothing worn. Police viewed them as defiant and people such as Henry Reyna were falsely imprisoned.

The play does a great job of showcasing the inner battle Reyna about how to stay true to himself. I enjoyed how the playwright Luis Valdez utilizes Pachuco’s narration as another embodiment of Reyna. He is the “bad side” of his self. Valdez does a great job of making you feel angry for the mistreatment of the Chicano people during this era. They were targeted as gang members based on the clothing they wore. The trials in the play show how unfair the judicial system truly was. Chicanos had no voice during these times and it was not until the zoo suit riots that they began to be heard. I did feel that the play can be difficult to follow at times as the structure and explanation of setting isn’t straightforward. I do think that the usage of Spanish can make it difficult for non Spanish speakers to follow along. I understand the impact the usage of Spanish has for the message, but when we want all to understand the importance of it, I think the usage of a flow up line in English translation would be helpful for them to feel the impact of the play. I also loved the musical numbers and how they added depth to Henry’s mental conflict. It added a beautiful touch of culture to the story.