AMERICAN PACHUCO (2026) + ZOOT SUIT (1981) - LUIS VALDEZ DOUBLE FEATURE

About the Show

AMERICAN PACHUCO + ZOOT SUIT

This is a double feature. One ticket admits you to both films.

Co-presented with our friends at El Cine

AMERICAN PACHUCO (2026)

An auteur emerges from America’s underclass: from migrant farmworker to revolutionary artist, Luis Valdez changed American culture. In the 1960s, his El Teatro Campesino performed on flatbed trucks and helped mobilize workers to win the first farmworker union contract. His Zoot Suit was the first Chicano play on Broadway. Despite critical rejection that killed the show, he persevered, creating La Bamba—a breakout blockbuster that authentically depicted MexicanAmerican life to the world. Now in its 60th year, El Teatro continues to be a beacon for Latino/a creators. This is the story of an artist who gave voice to the overlooked and opened pathways for generations.

ZOOT SUIT (1981)

Part fascinating fact, part dazzling fiction, Zoot Suit is Luis Valdez’s (La Bamba) blistering film adaptation of his own critically acclaimed stage drama based on the “zoot suit riots” that rocked 1940s Los Angeles. When barrio leader Henry Reyna (Daniel Valdez, The China Syndrome) and a group of his friends are unjustly convicted on circumstantial evidence and sent to San Quentin, activist lawyers Alice Bloomfield (Tyne Daly, The Enforcer) and George Shearer (Charles Aidman, Kotch) fight the blatant racially motivated miscarriage of justice to win Henry and his friends their freedom. Featuring Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver) in the role of the mythical “Pachuco” that catapulted him to stardom, Zoot Suit is a scorchingly searing and seductively provocative work that skillfully blends action, drama, romance and music! Zoot Suit features a rousing score by the film’s star Daniel Valdez and beautiful cinematography by David Myers (THX 1138).

The Fine Print: Tickets are valid only for the listed film, date, and showtime. All sales are final—no refunds or exchanges unless the event is canceled or rescheduled. Management reserves the right to deny entry or remove disruptive guests—this includes phone use, texting, talking, or anything else that ruins the experience for others. No outside food or drinks allowed into the theater.