"An excellent work in Chicano historiography and performativity. . . . Broyles-Gonza lez does not merely intend to de-mythologize the Luis] Valdez-centered cultural history of the Teatro; more importantly, she begins to explore a specific period and scope of a collective performance practice in the Teatro." -- Theatre Journal "This welcome addition in critical theory about the Chicana/o theater movement is recommended for those researchers interested in theater practice and performance, women's studies, and cultural studies." -- Choice
"I cannot overstress the significant contribution this book will make to the field of Chicano literature and the humanities in general. To date, there is no book-length study of this seminal and controversial theater company." -- Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Stanford University
Born in 1965 as an organizing tool within Ce sar Cha vez's United Farm Workers union, El Teatro Campesino became the premier Chicana/o performance ensemble to emerge out of the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s. This study demythologizes and reinterprets the company's history from its origins in California's farm labor struggles to its successes in Europe and on Broadway until the disbanding of the original collective ensemble in 1980 with the subsequent adoption of mainstream production techniques.
Yolanda Broyles-Gonza lez corrects many misconceptions concerning the Teatro's creation and evolution. She draws from a rich storehouse of previously untapped material, such as interviews with numerous ensemble members, production notes, and unpublished diaries, to highlight the realityof the collective creation that characterized the Teatro's work.
Writing within contemporary cultural studies theory, Broyles-Gonza lez sheds light on class, gender, race, and cultural issues. Her work situates the Teatro within working-class Mexican performance history, the Chicano movement, gender relations, and recent attempts to mainstream.
