More Information About Comedy Troupe Culture Clash, Plus Special Guests

Description

Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza are comedians, playwrights, and performers. Together, they are Culture Clash, a group now over twenty years old. The Los Angeles-based troupe has made its mission over the past two decades to examine the story of America through a particularly Chicano world-view. Each member came up through the traditions of biting social satire, politically and socially active theatre, and deft physical comedy.

In Culture Clash's early years, the group focused primarily on the Latino and Chicano experience of the West Coast. Their work was born out of and spoke to communities in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the like. When the group toured their full-length play Bowl of Beings to Miami, they were pleased to find that the stories resonated with a far wider, more diverse audience. Ten years after their founding, Culture Clash accepted a commission to return to Miami and create a play based on interviews with residents of all backgrounds--the play became the much-heralded Radio Mambo. It was a turning point for the group, and it started them on the path towards what would become their signature theatrical style: community-based plays that used raucous comedy and a gimlet eye to address pressing political and social issues.

"Radio Mambo provided the opportunity to broaden both our own perspective and that of our audience, to embrace the greater urban mix, the multicultural story now playing in every major U.S. city....It had Chicano and Salvadorian actors giving voice to the hopes and dreams of Cubans, Haitians, Bahamians, African-Americans, Jews, and an array of other cultural entities, all struggling together to find identity."

After their success with Radio Mambo, the group explored more cities, traveling around the country to meet the inhabitants and chronicle their lives, grafting original plays such as Anthems, Nuyorican Stories, Bordertown, and Mission Magic Mystery Tour, among others. Eventually, the mountains of material began to paint a larger picture--that of America as a whole. Siguenza, Salinas, and Montoya created Culture Clash in AmeriCCa, a compilation of their community-based work; it speaks to their view of our national character, our mythology, and the lives of individuals that make up the diverse threads of the American tapestry.

About the Ticket Supplier: Downtown Comedy Club

Downtown Comedy Club is Downtown Los Angeles' FIRST AND ONLY comedy club. Their goal is to bring the best in standup comedy to downtown Los Angeles. Forget about the hassle of driving to Hollywood and paying $25.00 to park on Sunset Blvd, while having to mortgage your house so you can pay the cover charge and buy a couple of water-filled drinks. The Downtown Comedy Club is going to change all of that with our personal guarantee: If you aren't completely satisfied with every aspect of your experience, the club will refund your money.......NO QUESTIONS ASKED!