ACTO Latino presents original piece inspired by immigration experienes of students

The Cal State San Bernardino student theater group Acto Latino will present the original piece “El Cruce De Los Suenos” and Luis Valdez’s play adaptation “Soldado Razo” on Friday, March 10.

The presentations, with English subtitles, will take place in the Santos Manuel Student Union Theater, room 107, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5; parking on campus is $6 per vehicle.

“El Cruce De Los Suenos (Crossing of the Dreams)” is an original piece created from the real immigrant experiences of Acto Latino students and their relatives. The Acto Latino Theater Group was founded to foster interest in Hispanic/Latino language, culture, and literature through the presentation of Spanish-language plays to a diverse audience.

The second play, a Luis Valdez play adaptation, “Soldado Razo” is a simple, brief and effective piece of political theater. The play portrays a young Chicano soldier on his way to the Vietnam War and leads the audience to realize he will not return. The one-act drama inspired an independent feature film, “Ballad of a Soldier.”

An American playwright, Valdez founded Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista, Calif., in 1965. Regarded as the father of Chicano theater in the United States and best known for his play “Zoot Suit” and the movie “La Bamba,” Valdez created the Teatro Campesino genre to entertain and educate migrant farmworkers. Valdez incorporates comedy, the oppression of Chicano farmworkers, and the belief that good triumphs over evil in hopes of encouraging change and bringing awareness.

Terry Smith, professor and chair of the CSUSB theatre arts department, called Valdez “a god of U.S. theatre who has had great impact on our society through the use of theatre.”

Last year, Valdez collaborated with the CSUSB student group Acto Latino Teatro Universitario and its adviser, Bibiana Díaz-Rodríguez, assistant professor of Spanish in the department of world languages and literatures as well as Los Amigos Spanish Club.

Los Amigos Spanish Club is a student-run organization for all CSUSB students with a common interest in Spanish language and culture. The club is dedicated to furthering students’ understanding of Hispanic and Latin American cultures through various activities on campus.

For more information on this event, contact Bibiana Diaz-Rodriguez at (909) 537-3670.