Latinx Theatre: Past, Present, Future

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From its Spanish religious and folk roots, to the founding of el Teatro Campesino, which led to the Chicano Theatre Movement of the 1960s, to the explosion of theatrical and scholarly activities since the late 20th century, Latinx theatre has had a challenging journey but rich history and it is thriving today. As UCI is a Hispanic Serving Institution, Illuminations is proud to invite the most distinguished artists and scholars in the field to reflect on the history and celebrate the achievement of Latinx theatre with our students and faculty.

Our distinguished guests include Luiz Valdez, the renowned playwright, director, actor, and founding artistic director of Teatro Campesino (the Farm Workers' Theatre), and Dr. Jorge Huerta, the distinguished scholar on Latinx theatre to have a conversation on the past, present, and future of Latinx theatre. Dr. Tiffany López, the dean of Claire Trevor School of the Arts will moderate the conversation. The panel speakers will be introduced by Dr. Ricardo Rocha, UCI Drama PhD of 2019.

There will be a Q & A session and a reception following the presentation.


Biographies of the Speakers:

Luis Valdez is a renowned playwright, director, and actor. He founded el Teatro Campesino (the Farm Worker's Theatre) in 1965, in the midst of United Farm Workers (UFW) struggle and the Great Delano Grape Strike. He uses a unique and effective theatrical form "actos"—short comical sketches to satirize a political situation and to inspire social change. His short play Los Vendidos is read by every Drama student in the U.S. as their introduction to Chicano theatre. El Teatro Campesino has won the Obie Award in 1969 and is the longest running Chicano theatre in the US. His "Zoot Suit" is the first Chicano play on Broadway and the first Chicano major feature film. As a screen writer, he is best known for his hit film La Bamba. He is the recipient of many honorary doctorates. Valdez was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. In 2007, he was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship. To learn more about el Teatro Campesino, please visit the website: https://elteatrocampesino.com

Dr. Jorge A. Huerta is Chancellor's Associates Professor of Theatre Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego. He is a leading authority on contemporary Latinx theatre, prolific writer, director, and dedicated educator. He is the author of many articles and chapters on Latinx theatre and author and of two monographs: Chicano Theatre: Themes and Forms (1982) and Chicano Drama: Society, Performance and Myth (2000). He also co-authors Routledge Performance Practitioners Series on Luis Valdez. Dr. Huerta was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre in 1994 and elected National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies Scholar in 1997. He was awarded the Association for Theatre in Higher Education "Lifetime Achievement in Educational Theatre Award" in 2007 and recognized as the "Distinguished Scholar" by the American Society for Theatre Research in 2008. He received the "Latino Spirit Award" by the California State Assembly and recognized for "Outstanding Contributions to Education in 2009.

Dr. Tiffany Ana López is the dean of Claire Trevor School of the Arts. She is a scholar, writer, dramaturge, and advocate for Latinx theatre. She is a founding member of the Latino Theater Alliance of Los Angeles, and has worked as a dramaturge with important theaters such as Mark Taper Forum, Cornerstone Theater Company and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She has received many prestigious awards, including a Hispanic Lifestyle Latina of Influence (2015) and a Fulbright Scholar (2004) and has been awarded numerous grants and fellowships from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts and The Rockefeller Foundation.

The event is co-sponsored by Claire Trevor School of the Arts

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