Zoot Suit

Zoot Suit Summary | Act 1, Part 1 Summary

Prologue. A narrator called El Pachuco appears, dressed in a zoot suit from the Forties. He checks his appearance, making sure he's perfect in every detail as he models his clothes. He poetically describes the "Pachuco" as part mythic hero and part heroic joke, telling us it was the secret wish of every young Chicano in the Forties barrio to live the powerful pachuco dream of being a proud and visible Chicano while simultaneously fitting in with American culture and society.

Scene 1. A dance in the barrio. El Pachuco sings about the stylish zoot suit as Henry, Henry's girlfriend Della and other members of his gang dance animatedly. Members of a rival gang, the Downeys, appear and watch. This creates tension, and then Rafas, the leader of the Downeys, shoves Rudy, Henry's brother. The dance continues.

Scene 2. Sirens blare and flashbulbs explode as the police (represented by Lieutenant Edwards and Sergeant Smith) raid the dance and members of the Press observe. The Pachucos are arrested and placed in a lineup as one member of the Press (who from now on represents all the press) lists the headlines that appeared in the papers after the raid. Lieutenant Edwards quotes one of the articles, stating that there will be a mass lineup of young people suspected of various petty crimes, and that anyone who's been a victim of such a crime is asked to come down and take a look. Edwards poses for a press photo and dismisses the Pachucos. Smith takes Henry out of the lineup and throws him to the floor.

Scene 3. We're now in jail with Henry. El Pachuco takes on the character of Henry's confidante, urging him to be calm. Henry believes the police are planning to set him up on a phony charge and throw him in jail, something they've done before. He's desperate to get out because he's supposed to go into the army. El Pachuco thinks it's a ridiculous idea, fighting for a country that doesn't treat you like a proper citizen. He suggests that Henry forget fighting the war across the ocean and remember that his people need him to lead the war against prejudice here. El Pachuco strikes a defiant pachuco pose, which Henry copies.

Scene 4. As the Press announces that twenty-two members of Henry's gang have been arrested, Edwards and Smith visit Henry in his cell, hoping to get information about a fight that occurred at a place called Sleepy Lagoon the night of the dance. As El Pachuco whispers in Henry's ear, encouraging him to stay quiet, Edwards plays the sympathetic cop, trying to get information in exchange for letting Henry join up the next day as scheduled. Smith plays the tough cop, attempting to bully Henry into revealing what he knows. Edwards leaves, which frees Smith to beat Henry into unconsciousness. Once Smith has gone, El Pachuco sings to Henry, telling him to escape from reality and retreat into his memory. Henry gets to his feet and we see a scene that El Pachuco tells us took place the night of the dance.

In this scene, Henry's mother, Dolores, hangs out clothes as she asks Henry to change out of his zoot suit. Henry refuses, saying it's his last chance to wear it before he goes into the army. Della arrives, dressed to party. Henry introduces Della to his parents, and his father Enrique approves. Henry's younger brother Rudy (whom we saw at the dance) appears, wearing an old suit that's been altered to look like a zoot suit. Enrique tries to get him to change, and Henry says that once he goes into the army Rudy can have his zoot suit. Rudy refuses, though, and says that soon he's going to get his own suit. As Enrique and Dolores leave, El Pachuco sings a hot dance number to which Henry, Della, Rudy, and the others in the gang dance enthusiastically.