Early Works: Actos, Bernabe & Pensamiento Serpentino

The plays are reflective in countless ways! You learn something very new in a unique theatrical way about the Chicano Movement. Very profound in my sense and comical at the same time. Valdez goes pretty deep towards at the end as mush as he does at the opening of the book. I had fun reading this book for my Chicano theatre class this spring, and I hope everyone gets a chance to read and understand it to.

As a teacher, the plays in Los Actos continue to be amongst the most effective literature for student participation and discussions about stereotypes, human rights, social struggle, and utopian thought. Righteously funny, these plays were originally performed at the Delano Grape Fields and urged farmworkers to strike for fair pay and housing. Valdez worked closely with iconic Chicano leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Although the plays are written bilingually, the stage directions and dominantly English dialog make the play's themes easily accessible. I would urge all teachers interested in teaching about social justice to try these plays in class and urge readers in general to experience Los Actos. Readers will, hopefully, find them funny, moving, and educational. The plays help us understand a time and place, and non-Chicanos are introduced to important cultural themes and concepts, such as Atzlan.