¡Viva la Raza! : using audience reception theory to identify the American hegemonic influences of early Mechicana/o theatre.

Using audience reception theory, the aim of this work is to determine the factors that manipulated and influenced the experience and success of the musical Zoot Suit. Whilst studying archival records of the production’s reviews, this essay will also analyze the influence the media and newspapers had on how the musical was received and whether these outlets determined the success of Luis Valdez’s work. Finally, this research will analyze and compare the Spanish press coverage and the English press coverage with the hypothesis that due to the lack of attention the Spanish press gave to the musical Zoot Suit, the ideology of the presence of an absence is considered to be a possible factor contributing to the failure of the musical in New York.