Tribe Baby Prince
As a young person, Garcia was influenced by the presentational, didactic, agitprop plays he discovered in a little red book of “actos” by El Teatro Campesino and was inspired by the hopes and optimism he witnessed in Shirley Temple films. He was often at odds with the extremes of his interest. On one hand, he sought to dramatize the sociopolitical, material, and cultural issues of the exploited, and on the other hand, he hoped to sing and tap his way to Hollywood stardom. Garcia began his social activism at age sixteen, when his father sent him to work as an apprentice recruiter for a federal VISTA program funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity. Garcia’s job was to assist in the recruitment of high school aged children of agricultural workers from the rural communities of Colorado and to orient them to the real possibilities of achieving higher education.
Leo continued his community service through his high school and early undergraduate years and came to believe that the spirit of service is not only an asset, but also a requirement.
Though inclined to pursue a career in the social sciences, Garcia never forgot the impact that the works of El Teatro Campesino had on him, nor did he forget his joy in the magic of Hollywood. As Garcia navigated through college, he pursued the theatre as a way of having it all, a form of a political and social education, he thought, as well as a theatrical one. This mix of influences created a syncretism that satisfied his needs.
TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview.4
Do you cook?
I do, when I have time. Though, much less than I used to. Clean up is not a favorite pass time.
What is your specialty meal?
I can cook anything if I have a recipe, but I’m pretty good at preparing Italian dishes for some reason. I can cook a mean chicken parmigiana and a delicious fusilli/ broccoli/olive paste pasta.
What is your favorite restaurant in LA where you indulge yourself?
I like spacious restaurants with deep banquettes, cool martinis, world cuisine, and courses in all things good.