San Marcos — California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) will welcome internationally-renowned playwright, director and social rights activist Luis Valdez for a guest lecture on Tuesday, May 1 at 6 p.m. in Arts 111 to discuss the birth of the Chicano theater movement and its continued relevance nearly 50 years later. Held in honor of International Workers’ Day, the event is free and open to the public.

Born in Delano, California in 1940, Valdez is the founder of the El Tea-tro Campesino (translation: The Farmworkers Theater) and is revered to be the father of Chicano theater in the United States. In 1965, he joined César Chávez in his effort to educate and organize farmworkers into a viable union, where Valdez wrote and performed brief satirical sketches and plays relevant to the civil rights struggles of migrants. His plays deliver powerful social or political messages and frequently infuse humor to attack the opposition. His published plays, actos and films include Zoot Suit, La Bamba, La Pastorela and I Am Joaquín, among others. He is most notably known for Zoot Suit, which debuted on Broadway in 1979 making Valdez the first Chicano director to premiere on the Broadway stage. The play was later adapted into a film in 1981.

Valdez’s visit to campus is sponsored by CSUSM’s Arts and Lectures series, the Theatre Arts Program, Social Justice & Equity Project, Center ARTES and National Latino Research Program. Admission is free and open to the community.

Where: California State University San Marcos, Arts Building, Room 111, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos.