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The works, “A Solid Home” by Elena Garro, “Los Vendidos” by Luis Valdez, “La Raza Pura” by Ruben Sierra, and “El Jardin” by Carlos Morton are serious (although very often amusing) adult drama written by foremost Mexican and Chicano playwrights and typify these two movements at their best. The Valdez and Sierra plays exemplify characteristics of the “renaissance” of Chicano theatre by utilizing stereotypical barrio figures and delivering a contemporary political message. The Morton work contains elements of this Chicano formula but transfers them into the more mythological setting of the Garden of Eden. And the Garro work, the only purely Mexican of the group, is structured in a classic, European manner, although the setting of a common grave is somewhat untraditional.
The plays can be read on different levels and tangible follow-up activities are provided after a brief synopsis of each work in order to enhance language arts development.
(Recommended for Grades 6 through 12 middle level and advanced E.S.O.L. and English Literature and Language Arts Classes)
ESL Teaching Drama Bilingualism Literature Hispanic Mexican