The New Cisco Kid
Nov. 18th, 2009 03:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dedalus_1947
The Cisco Kid was a friend of mine
The Cisco Kid he was a friend of mine
(Cisco Kid by WAR, 1971)
I turned off the television set in the Family Room at about 10 o’clock and walked into the study to check my email and see the latest postings on my favorite blogs. They are found as “Bookmarks” on my browser, and I’ve listed them in order of preference. The first six were: The Dedalus Log, Tablesaw, Flor Y Canto, Militant Angeleno, LA Eastside, and Chimatli. As I settled back into my desk chair, looking at the screen, I opened my son’s web log, Tablesaw/Sharpest Blades. A large billboard-style picture of a masked stranger came flying onto the screen. Captivated by the gaudy poster, I read the rest of Toñito’s blog for November 5, 2009.
Is anyone interested in seeing this with me next week?
“Get ready boys and girls for a thrilling episode of El Verde! Meet mild mannered Arturo Sanchez, born as an alien from the not so far away world of Mexico and raised in the good old U.S. of A. All Arturo ever wanted was to live an ordinary life, but after a freak elote accident, Arturo became… El Verde!!!
“Join us as we go back, way back, to see how it all began. This November, TeAda Productions will present THE ORIGINS OF EL VERDE. Watch as Arturo becomes the superhero who fights for truth, justice, and the Mexican-American way! Then watch him battle the evil La Quinceanera with her ultimate plot to destroy the world.
“Yes, El Verde is the live superhero show that’s fun for the whole family. If you’ve never been to an El Verde show before, be sure not to miss this one".
I meant to catch the show in August, but we got all busy. I don’t want to let this one go by.
The flamboyant promotional language was amusing, but Toñito’s invitation was enticing. On impulse, I immediately responded to his blog: “Mi Raza on stage? I’m always up see Chicano or Mexican-American theatre. Just let me know who else is going so I’ll know when (or when not) to laugh. Let’s coordinate dates, because next week looks bad. Dedalus”
Last Saturday, Toñito and I met at Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica to watch El Verde-Origins. It was just the two of us (a father and son) getting together to watch a local play about a Mexican-American hero in America. I had not shared an encounter this long with my son in months. We had seen each other at numerous family events and occasions, and chatted; but there is no substitute for sitting, watching, listening, and sharing a ballgame, movie, or play with your child, and knowing that you have all the time in the world to talk. That’s what we did that night.
The play was funny and exaggerated, and it provoked childhood images of comic books, cartoons, and Saturday matinee movies. There was nothing really exceptional in the staging or acting, and the story’s premise was absurd, but I smiled and laughed all evening. It reminded me of the campy, over-the-top, 1960’s TV series, Batman. The costuming, dialogue, actions, and music were bright, flashy, and outlandish. One could almost imagine the words POW, THWACK, and KABOOM flashing across the stage, as the heroes and villains fought and chased each other through the sets. Only these characters didn’t look, dress, or sound like your typical American heroes and villains in Gotham City – they were different. These good guys and bad guys looked, dressed, and acted as if they were cast in a Spanish language telenovela, located in East LA. For the space of 90 minutes, I was a kid again; suspending my beliefs and watching an improbable, Mexican-American factory worker transform himself into an urban, barrio crime fighter. El Verde wasn’t “super” because he had no super powers. True superheroes like Superman, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and Spiderman, were aliens from other planets or Americans who acquired superpowers. El Verde was just a naively confident and ambitious Mexican-American who wanted to defeat evildoers. He reminded me of the two Mexican-American heroes of my youth, The Cisco Kid and Zorro. In fact, except for the color of the mask and his lack of a sword, El Verde matched El Zorro in mask and suit color (I chose Cisco Kid for my title and epigram because I liked his song by War better than Zorro’s television theme song). It occurred to me, while discussing the merits of the play with Toñito over a late supper, that I would never have seen this production on my own. My son was our family’s guidon, carrying the ancient pennant of our cultural past.
My son Toñito has many admirable qualities. He is smart (tall), talented, logical, artistic, and passionate; and when he puts his mind to a task, he can be relentless. He brought this determination to bear on many of the duties his mother and I assigned him as a youth (athletics and academic achievement), and in the personal endeavors he discovered and pursued on his own (children’s theater, high school drama, and college fine arts). As he grew older, Kathy and I assumed our parental balcony seats to watch his life unfold - curious how this motivation would manifest itself next. We saw it in his involvement in intellectual puzzles and games, and in his committed relationship with his fiancé. However, the most surprising imperative developed from Tony and Jonaya’s understanding that their children would be bi-racial and multi-ethnic. I first became aware of his interest in Mexican and Chicano history, language, and culture, in September of 2008 when another of Toñito’s blogs caught me by surprise (See Cosmic Quest)
Since then, Toñito has continued his quest of learning more about the Mexican-American experience, history, language, and culture in Los Angeles, California, and America. I’ve stayed abreast of his progress through sporadic conversations, but mostly through his blog. In fact, it was while reading his commentaries on ethnic diversity, race, and cultural history that I learned of Militant Angeleno, LA Eastside, and Chimatli, three Mexican-American web journals that chronicle the styles and culture of Los Angeles, and East Los Angeles from a Mexican-American perspective. We had once talked about seeing The Culture Clash, the Chicano/Latino performance group that mixes comedy, satire, and social commentary through a Latino perspective, but we never followed through. Toñito’s Internet invitation to see another type of comedy about a Chicano culture hero was more than enough to compensate. I look forward to another date.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-19 04:45 am (UTC)TRH
Initial Query
Date: 2009-11-19 06:58 am (UTC)Great hearing from you. By the way, what does the "R", in TRH stand for? I have the T and the H, but I am unsure of the R. My wife thinks it's "Ramon". As much as I'd like to believe that you are Cuban, or even of Moorish descent, from southern Spain, I don't think she's right. Let me know, will you. You will settle our bet.
Take care.
Re: Initial Query
Date: 2009-11-24 12:45 am (UTC)My middle name is Redmond. I am named after my mother's father, "Tommy Redmond." Tommy Redmond's father was a white man in Mississippi. My grandfather looked white and was his father's valet. We're talking about not too long after Slavery. My mother was born in 1908! She passed in 2002. Her mother was half Native american (Black Foot) and African american. My nickname growing up was "Red," short for Redmond. I was called, "Red Hicks!" I am the youngest of 4 and was the only child not born in Mississippi. I was born in Gary, Indiana. THEN, a great place to be born and raised. Great to hear from you personally. My best to Kathy. And keep the writing going. It is a real pleasure to read. You continually inspire me.
TRH
A suggestion...
Date: 2009-11-20 03:58 pm (UTC)Re: A suggestion...
Date: 2009-11-21 12:58 am (UTC)I will certainly take that suggestion under advisement. In the meantime, Kathy and I thought it would be nice to visit our incredible daughter at her place of work and surprise her. We'll see what she thinks.