Here are the guidelines:
- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 200 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
- From the "Comment As" drop-down menu, choose Anonymous, then click "Publish."
- Reading responses are due by midnight on the night PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
The play “Dos Caras del Patroncito” is a good play to read since we are talking about Chicano theatre and a Chicano playwright. In “Notes on Chicano Theatre”, Valdez says “Chicano theatre, then, is first a reaffirmation of LIFE.” (Valdez, 6) and what I think he meant here is that Chicano theatre isn’t just solely entertainment, it tells a story or even teaches a lesson, it is filled with history and the struggles of Chicanos/ Chicanas back in the day that are relatable to situations right now. I saw this take place in the play “Dos Caras del Patroncito”. In the play we can see the hierarchal structure between the Patroncito and the Farmworker, but when they switch roles we see that “reaffirmation of life” that Valdez was talking about in “Notes on Chicano Theatre”. After switching places, the “Patroncito” says, “You know that damn Cesar Chavez is right? You can't do this work for less than two dollars an hour. No, boy, I think we've played enough. Give me back...” (Valdez, 13) that’s when he sees how unjust and horrible the treatment and conditions are, this shows how my opinion on the whole Chicano theatre being a reaffirmation of life and how it coincides with the play.
ReplyDeleteIlene Guevara
The area of Chicano Theatre is new to me, having read practically nothing that would fall under this genre until today reading “Los Dos Caras del Patroncito.” I enjoyed it, a lot, specifically in its satirical nature, it’s social themes, and that it is clearly a stage production (with the signs, mask, Farmworker talking directly to the audience, etc) and does not try to masquerade itself as complete reality. After reading “The Actos,” I realized these are qualities characteristic of the Chicano theatre that rose up out of the huelguistas. I think Luis Valdez really emphasized the importance and focus on social action, both in his essays and in “Los Dos Caras del Patroncito.” I like how he makes the distinction between “social vision” and “playwright’s vision,” and how Actos are created collectively, making them “social reality”. That seems to me to be an incredibly poignant way to create a play that will really impact people. Chicano theatre seems to me, based on what I’ve read here, to be inspired by desire for action, Valdez writes that “our belief in God, the church, the social role of women, these must be subject to examination and redefinition on some kind of public forum,” and I think that maybe that is a view we can all learn from.
ReplyDeleteLacey Naumann
I liked that both readings go hand in hand since we are reading about Chicano theater and “Dos Caras del Patroncito” touches a lot on that genre. I personally did like the play but I wouldn’t exactly say that I am fascinated with that genre. It is still new for me, I’ve never really read about it before. The reason that I don’t like this genre is because I really don’t like when the speaker or the playwright mixes up the language. I feel like it’s something that I dislike due to aesthetic purposes (how it looks) and how it sounds. I know that in some cases, especially here in the Valley, this is the way that the language is supposed to be and how people talk, so it is understandable that someone would write like that—how the culture is. The play begins a lot that mix between English and Spanish “Oh, si patron. Muy hard. (He starts working furiously.)” Which is something I personally dislike, but I could see how Valdez attempts to depict this certain culture through his play and the type of language he utilizes.
ReplyDeleteThat’s one of the things that I did like about the play. His attempt to convey the Chicano culture through language.
Ivanna Zamudio Trevino
There is something quite fascinating about the connection between the labor struggles of the 60’s and 70’s and the development of “Chicano Teatro.” For the aesthetic of this theater, different from the western/american/gringo tradition, is steeped in its development within the huelgistas. Luis Valdez identifies the American desire for realism as its achilles heel – it is “antibiotic,” empty of the “sangre and body smells” that permeates throughout Chicano Theater, which goes beyond realism to represent the truth in the way only a play can. That is why, in "Las Dos Caras del Patroncito”, el Patroncito wears a pig mask, and acts and speaks not in the way a boss in reality would, but in a way that makes his disgusting, rapacious nature come to the forefront. The artifice in fact makes the play more real than reality, by destroying all the pretense between the farmworker and el Patroncito that the worker isn’t being exploited. The truth of the play is said plainly to the audience. The play works like this because it is meant to be performed for the workers and by the workers, in order to educate the workers and create the revolutionary class consciousness that the socialists of the 60’s needed for the huelgistas to be sustained. It is sad there is nothing in the popular consciousness of today even remotely similar. Much of the media consumed today is created not by working class people but college educated, middle class writers that have no understanding of the struggles of working people. That struggle is life itself, a necessary component for writing Chicano Theater.
ReplyDelete- Rodin Grajo
Reading into Chicano theater, the purpose more and more appears to me to be part revolutionary, and part healing. The arts have always been an outlet for emotion, and for the migrant workers of the 60s, from Luis Valdez's noting, the actos acted as a catharsis for the writers, actors, and most impactfully, the audience. For example, with "Los Dos Caras del Patroncito", the audience is obviously tied to the character of the Farmworker, his dialogue and transformation seeming like wish fulfillment for workers being taken advantage of by their own Patroncitos, as well as rationalizing the changes the workers demanded from the perspective of the people in power. This to me also highlighted an important justification for representation in the arts, since these actos were meant to reflect the struggles of a Mexican American audience, how could they connect with the message if the characters didn't look/sound/behave like them? Valdez notes this, writing that "One character can thus represent the entire Raza, and the Chicano audience will gladly respond to his triumphs or defeats", (pg 13). That encapsulates the ultimate end result for a playwright, since not only is the audience left thinking about the narrative after the play, they are empowered to seek change and improvement within their community as well upon this reflection. -Jesse Rocha
ReplyDeleteDos Caras del Patroncito by Luis Valdez is a good example on how Mexican playwrights can work on plays that reflect their culture. It becomes apparent when the playwright uses spanish words but they’re mixed with English so that the lines come off as authentic. He also uses a direct monologue in order to give the audience exposition. Luis Valdez brings out crucial points in his excerpts, Notes on Chicano Theater and The Actos, as they express that Hispanic writers should go beyond the surface, exploit our weaknesses and desires in order for the ideas being presented. He also goes into detail about how our history as hispanics have shaped our written works and plays as well. Luis Valdez tends to write about Mexican American issues in his plays, and the play Dos Caras del Patroncito reflects these ideas. In the abstract of the play, as he goes into detail about HUELGA and the field workers during the 60s and it’s best reflected between the dialogue of both of the characters, the obvious power structure between the 2 as well as the differences in social classes. The play builds off the situation around Luis Valdez as he adds his own commentary on the matter at hand.
ReplyDelete-Luis Alonzo
Chicano theater is also something new to me. What I liked about this concept is the way it tells a realistic story, like in the play “Las Dos Caras del Patroncito.” I thought that this play was really funny whenever they started ‘acting’ their different roles. The farmworker must have enjoyed playing as his own boss. I was kind of disappointed at the end when he talks to the audience and says he won’t keep anything. I mean, even though the patron is bad to the workers, the farmworker just wanted to give him a little taste of his own medicine.
ReplyDeleteFor the realistic part of the play, I think the characters are believable in the way they act and talk (such as the mixing of Spanish that the farmworker does). Something that still caught my attention was that the patron had a mask, and underneath, he is very much like the farmworker, he looks mexican. I don’t know what this means to the play and the symbolism, but it adds to the plot because that is how he gets mistaken as another mexican. Chicano theatre needs to be revolutionary, this whole concept makes its plays very powerful because their themes aren’t like the ones from ‘american plays’. What I mean by this, is that the distinction between chicano theater and other types of theater is very visible.
Paulina Longoria
Chicano theatre is culture-rich. It’s kind of filled with the struggle that plagues our ancestors and every person of our background who came before us. This topic of Chicano theatre has a lot to do with representation. It’s something that is seen, or dare I say not seen, in different media platforms. I firmly believe Latino representation in all forms of literature has been the slowest to develop with the proper representation. On page 10 of Notes on Chicano Theatre, Valdez writes about how this type of theatre shows, “the joys, sufferings, disappointments, and aspirations of our gente.” In Los Actos, the intent of Chicano theater is to, “inspire the audience to social action.” I don’t know if I necessarily agree or disagree with that statement. I don’t think Chicano theatre needs to quite lead to social action. Obviously in this political climate we live in, most representation is seen as some sort of protest one way or another, but I think just showing the culture and history is already a good start. “Dos Caras del Patroncito” is quite literally a protest that shows the injustice farmworkers face, and this directly ties in with both readings. This play gives exactly what Valdez was talking about with addressing the need for social action in Chicano theatre.
ReplyDelete-Gabriela Urbano
Reading the play Dos caras del patrincito was really interesting. It gave an insight on the satire of that time and how they coped with the penalties of being on strike. Seeing the farmworker being pushed around and trying to appease the patrincito gave me a sick feeling in my stomach as I thought about the situations, they put themselves through to get the American dream. Being able to read the play and watch the YouTube video made it seem more real, even though this happened not that long ago. Going through the notes on chicano theater and seeing how they feel about everything puts it into perspective the heart and drive chicanos had for their rights. Having never heard about chicano theater before reading it was amazing, learning more about the culture that surrounds us. The Actos gives the satirical aspect, overcoming the oppression and using satire to lessen the blow. Giving the audience the push they need to peruse the social justice.
ReplyDeleteKendra Lara