La pastorela.

Founded in 1965 by Luis Valdez, El Teatro Campesino was initially the cultural wing of the United Farm Workers union in California's central valley. With a pointed political mission, ETC performed their actos in the fields, agitprop improvisations communicated eloquently with the workers, who could neither read nor write, but recognized themselves and their values in the actos. By 1970 ETC had gained an international reputation, with major contributions to Chicano culture in the U.S. and to the development and expansion of the boundaries of theater everywhere. Theirs is a popular theater rooted in the American streets, early California history, Mayan/Aztec mythology and Mexican folklore and spiritualism, all geared toward expression of social, political and cultural perceptions. This video documents the piece La Pastorela, which is performed biannually by El Teatro Campesino during the Christmas holidays, alternating with La Virgen del Tepeyac, in the historic Mission of San Juan Bautista, established in 1797. Pastorelas, or Shepherds Plays, originated in medieval Europe as religious dramas and were later brought to the new world and Alta California by the Spanish missionaries. La Pastorela recreates the long trek of those first pastores to the holy site of the Nativity. This adaptation of La Pastorela was originally created in 1975, under the direction of Luis Valdez, based on a traditional version from San Luis Potosi in Mexico. The Lucifer character of Luzbel and his demons attempt to thwart the shepherds from reaching Bethlehem and the Holy Manger. However, in a dynamic clash of good against evil, San Miguel, the Archangel, and an army of angels overpower the demonic powers of Luzbel and the shepherds are at last free to complete their journey. This particular production, staged in 1995 by Kinan Valdez, is a youthful and vibrant reincarnation of this ETC popular classic. Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics