The Geography for Zoot Suit and Other Plays
The
book Zuit Soot by Luis Valdez consists of three plays Zoot Suit,
Bandido and I Don’t Have To Show You No Stinking Badges . In
all three of these plays Valdez uses historical people and references.
Luis Valdez uses such references as a way to give you the reader a better
understanding of the settings. His references to places such as Los
Angeles and East Los Angeles and his references to such people as Tiburcio
Vasquez, Henry Reyna and the sleepy lagoon thirteen gives the reader a
better opportunity to envision a little more what s happening.
Luis Valdez does a good job of using real people and places in his plays.
For example, in Zoot Suit he uses the actual names of the thirteen
boys and actual events. This shows that history is actually very important
to Valdez. Below, are pictures of places and events that happened in
History these places and events are also mentioned in Valdez’ book.
Table of Contents
Los Angeles Geography for “Zoot Suit”
"They are members of the 38th STREET GANG, led by Henry Reyna"
(26).
" The DOWNEY GANG, a rival group of pachucos enters upstage left" (27).
"Death Awakens Sleepy Lagoon (Breath). LA shaken by lurid "Kid"
murder" (28).
"A huge showup of nearly 300 boys and girls rounded up by the police and sheriff's deputies will be held tonight at eight o' clock in Central Jail at First and Hill Street" (28).
"Over at the Williams’ Ranch. See the house lights" (55)
"A fleet of twenty taxicabs carrying some two hundred servicemen pulled out of the Naval Armory in Chavez Ravine tonight" (79).
"Yeah, ese, but this ain't the Avalon Ballroom" (92).
Los Angeles Geography for "Bandido"
“Time and place: San Jose CA, 1875” (101).
SCENE ONE
“I am from San Juan Bautista” (Valdez p. 104).
“”That’s why we brought you here from Salinas in the first place” ( Adams p.107).
This is a picture from the web of what Salinas State Prison look like now a days.
“I’ve
been quite comfortable in your modern jail, Sheriff. Sure
beats the dark dungeon of San Quentin prison” (Valdez p. 107) . This
picture shows the front of the prison showing the Administration Building,
Officer's and Guard's Recreation Hall, and Armory in then late 1800s. .
SCENE THREE
"The Pinacles. Vasquez caves. August, 1973"
”The stage arrives in Tres Pinos at sundown” ( Feliz p. 113)
This is an old picture in downtown Tres Pinos. It might have been perhaps a saloon.
“You’ll be trying just like Joaquin Murrieta” (Tiburcio p. 114)
Act Two
SCENE TWO
San Bernardino Mountains. (129)
"I rode all the way to the mouth of Little Rock Canyon" (p. 129 Tiburcio).
SCENE SIX: Greek George's cabin at the mount of Laurel Canyon. Click on the link for location.
http://www.dankat.com/advents/maps/laurel.htm
"I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges!"
“Monterey Park a suburb of Greater Los Angeles…” This is where the story takes place. p.156
Anita
talks about where her brother who sells lawn seeds has worked. " He's a
turf doctor, retained by several professional football stadiums around the
country, including the Rose Bowl." p.169
Hollywood is where Buddy and Connie have worked for a long time. p.168
Pacific Palisades, CA is a real city and also where Anita's brother lives. p.168
East Los Angeles, CA where Anita's father lived and also where Buddy and Connie lived. "My dad was born in East Los Angeles, though, in a place called Dogtown." p.191
