José, Can You See?

"A superb book that will be immensely useful to anyone interested in Latino theater and its relation to mainstream theater. I have not seen any work of the scope, depth, clarity and personal commitment as this one."--Silvia Spitta, Dartmouth

"I don't know any other book that provides us with such an ample and innovative view of Latino theater and the image created by Broadway/Hollywood of Hispanics in the United States."--Efraín Barradas, University of Massachusetts, Boston

In two acts, complete with overture and intermission, Alberto Sandoval-Sánchez shines his spotlight on representations and stereotyping of Latinos on stage. In act one, José Can You See? scans the way Latinos get typecast on Broadway and in popular culture--from enduring icons like Carmen Miranda and Desi Arnaz to full-scale musicals like West Side Story and A Chorus Line.

In act two Sandoval-Sánchez offers a fresh perspective on how Latinos/as represent themselves in their own theatrical productions by introducing a whole body of relatively unknown Latino plays. Suggesting that all these plays pose a response to popular culture's stereotypes, he discusses the ways in which Hispanic theater both confronts the dangers of assimilation and validates Latino traditions and culture.