Valley of the Heart

Set Design by Jay Africa Written and directed by legendary director and activist Luis Valdez (Zoot Suit, La Bamba), considered to be the "Father of Chicano Theater," Valley of the Heart is El Teatro Campesino's first experimental multimedia production, telling a Romeo and Juliet story of Japanese and Mexican farmworkers during the era of WWII internment. "Robustly directed by the El Campesino founder, “Heart” rekindles painful memories too often forgotten in the mythology of war. The operatic saga may get bogged down in its recitation of the facts, from the plight of the braceros, guest Mexican farm workers, to the bravery of the 442nd Regiment, but the production’s use of archival video projections (by David Murakami) is endlessly gripping." - San Jose Mercury News