Great Cities Speaker Series / Luis Valdez

Featured Voice

November 3, 2008
The Power of Zero: The Mayan Key to Vibrant Communities
Luis Valdez; playwright, film maker, educator
Venue: San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo De San Antonio 

Luis Valdez worked with Cesar Chavez and founded El Teatro Campesino in 1965 on the picket lines of the Delano Grape Strike.  Regarded as the father of Chicano theater and film, his work includes Zoot Suit and La Bamba.  One of the founding professors of California State University at Monterey Bay, he launched the Institute for Teledramatic Arts and Technology.

As an artist/activist and community organizer, his unique Mayan perspective on integrating THE POWER OF ZERO into the performances of daily life unleashes the creative faculties of children, adults and the community at large.  The Mayan design of cities as ceremonial centers allowed for the vibrancy of their humanity. Linking the arts with science and mathematics, this key to our universal vibrant being is a provocative map for the multi-cultural communities of the future.