Playwrights recall the spirit of Gordon Davidson, and how one man changed the face of L.A. theater

Gordon Davidson’s risk-taking attracted some of the world’s greatest stage artists to Los Angeles, but for many in the city, no collaboration was as significant as when he worked with Luis Valdez, the writer of the historical drama “Zoot Suit.” 

The 1978 play recounted a contentious period in L.A....