KPBS Midday Edition

'Zoot Suit' Returns To SD Rep Stage

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Angela Carone / Cultural Enterprise Reporter, Claire Caraska / Production Intern/Culture Lust Blogger

Published July 25, 2012 at 8:18 AM PDT

This story was published more than 11 years ago.

Dance scene during "Zoot Suit" at the San Diego Repertory Theater.

'Zoot Suit' Returns to the SD Rep

GUESTS Lakin Valdez, actor in “Zoot Suit.” Sam Woodhouse, artistic director of San Diego Repertory Theatre.

In the 1960s, playwright Luis Valdez founded El Teatro Campesino, a theater company run by, and for, farm workers. But it wasn't until the late '70s when Valdez—now heralded as the father of Chicano theater—took the theater world by storm with his 1978 masterpiece "Zoot Suit."

"Zoot Suit" may be a fictional tale but it's based on historical events: the 1942 Sleepy Lagoon murder trial, which wrongfully charged a group of Chicano youths with a murder that they did not commit, and the ensuing Zoot Suit Riots that took place in Los Angeles. (The play's title refers to the high-waisted, wide-legged/pegged trousers and long coat, popularized by male Chicano and African-American youths during the 1940s.)

The play itself quickly made history, becoming the first Chicano play on Broadway. The now classic work is getting a fresh staging at the San Diego Repertory Theatre, which first staged the production in 1997.

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And although it was written over 30 years ago and discusses events from 70 years ago, the play's themes of racial tensions, social injustices and media hysteria are still relevant today.

Starring Lakin Valdez (a son of Luis Valdez) and directed by Kirsten Brandt (former executive artistic director of Sledgehammer Theatre), the "play with music" features a cast of 33 actors/singers/dancers and a live orchestra playing Latin jazz form the 1940s.

KPBS Midday Edition speaks with actor Lakin Valdez and SD Rep Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse about this modern classic and how it still resonates with today's audiences after all these years.

“Zoot Suit” runs now through August 12 at the San Diego Repertory’s Lyceum Theater in downtown San Diego.

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Angela Carone

Angela Carone covered arts and culture for KPBS and was the author of Culture Lust. Angela has produced public radio programs focused on the arts for the Atlanta and San Diego markets. In this role, she has covered topics ranging from books, film, theater, music, visual arts and pop culture. She also has more than 15 years experience in print media, having been published in various newspapers, alternative weeklies, and exhibition catalogs. Angela has degrees in political science from Pennsylvania State University and in English literature from Georgia State University. She is also a published photographer.

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Claire Caraska

Claire Caraska served as a production assistant for KPBS Midday Edition and a Culture Lust blogger. As a writer and editor, she has covered music and visual arts for various print and online publications, including San Diego CityBeat, The San Diego Union-Tribune and voiceofsandiego.org. Claire received her bachelor’s degree in communication from UC San Diego, where she spent time on the air at KSDT Radio. An avid audiophile and record collector, she is also a DJ and can be heard playing 60s and 70s soul and funk at local watering holes. Photo by Derrik Chinn.

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