02.13.2000

Two Latino Comedy Ensembles Laugh Off Stereotypes By MELANIE FELICIANO © 2000 LatinoLink February 11, 2000 Chanclas. It's a funny word. Mami used to kill bugs with them and papi used to spank us with them. Whether Cuban, Mexican, or Colombian, we all laugh together about our chancla stories. Seldom do we ever get to see those stories acted out live on a stage theater. But two Latino comedy troupes, in their own spicy styles, are causing belly-aching, side-stitching laughter in Latino and non-Latino audiences alike. They're the Latino Comedy Project, based in Austin, Tex., and ¡Salsation!, Chicago's -- and perhaps the world's -- only Latin-flavored improvisational ensemble. Trained at Second City, where comedy's most notorious bigwigs learned their craft -- Chris Farley, Mike Meyers, Horatio Sanz and other Saturday Night Live cast members -- the players of Salsation pride themselves in their mastery of all forms of comedy: pre-rehearsed sketch comedy, pop culture parodies, celebrity impersonations, long and short form improvisational comedy, and most importantly, bilingual comedy combined with Latino piqué. Members of Salsation Paul "Vato" Rodriguez Eva Rios Joseph A. Nuñez Diane Herrera Sandra Chavez Aamer Arboleda Not Pictured: Keith Privett, director Ramon Chiarrez, Jr. "I looked around, and I didn't see any Latino comedy improv groups," said Paul "Vato" Rodriguez, the Salsation creator whose name is coincidentally the same as the famous comedian's. "With this whole Latin explosion, now is the time to strike, while the iron is hot." As network television sits on its hackneyed hands ignoring the so-called "Latin explosion," Salsation is showing the improvisational comedy capital of Chicago the funny side of being Latino. They can create funny scenes and characters from any kind of situation, whether it's death or drug-addicted family members, and they often exploit Latino stereotypes "intelligently," said Vato. "You have to relate to all audiences so that an Italian family can say, 'Oh my god, we also have plastic on our couches!' Stereotypes happen for a reason," he said. "We should laugh at ourselves first, and then we can laugh at everyone else." The cast members derive their humor from their experiences growing up with loud-mouthed tías, quirky abuelitos and the stereotypical Latina girl from inner-city Chicago, otherwise known as la hoochie mama. "Sochi," interpreted by Salsation's youngest player, Diane Herrera, never fails to send an audience into convulsive ha-has. But while they laugh, they're also being fed a dose of the irony and social commentary that underlies the group's comedy. "The twist on it is that we don't want to be liked for our bodies, we want to be liked for our minds," said Herrera, who plays the hoochie mama role along with Eva Rios. "The thing that's funny about [the show] is that we're standing in a corner at midnight talking about our book club, and we're reading Moby Dick. I get a kick out of playing a character I'm not. She gives me the opportunity to play the outrageous flirt, but at the same time she wants respect." The group also performs its own renditions of popular network television shows including "Judge Booty," "Livin la Vida Floja" and "Touched by an Anglo." Their outrageous and flamboyant antics keep audiences laughing, but Salsation also wants to tug at emotional chords. They are aware that audiences crave a roller coaster ride, from peeing-in-their-pants laughs to crying their eyes out. The social commentary comes in the connection they make with people on issues like abortion, religion, technology and division among Latinos. "One of our struggles when we first started was people said we weren't Latino enough," said Vato. "We're all pretty much from Chicago with a middle class, Midwestern mentality." The Salsation actors endearingly call themselves "coconuts," since "all of us grew up third and fourth-generation Latinos," said Joe Nuñez, an original cast member. "But in the end, we're all cut from the same fabric. We're all Latinos. There's a common bond right away." Representing Puerto Rican, Colombian and Mexican backgrounds, the eight-member ensemble offers a balanced mix of Latino experiences. Sandra Chavez, who grew up in Rio Grande City, Tex., said she has plenty of border town stories to laugh about and act out. But her favorite part of improvisational comedy is the risk of making mistakes and the challenge of wearing a variety of hats: writer, director, editor and actor -- all at the same time. "I think the beauty of improvising is coming up with ideas on the spot," she said. "When you see someone doing that, it's like 'Wow, I can do that because I love to be around people.'" Next page THE LATINO VERSION OF 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'

Would you choose Hillary Clinton for the U.S. Senate? yes no

"Selena" and "Mi Familia" star Jacob Vargas will be the guest of LatinoLink's next live chat Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. PST.