By Bessie King
Jokes, improvised skits and many laughs filled the Raytheon Amphitheater Saturday night when “Salsation!” performed.
Hosted by the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), the event was a comedy night intended to celebrate the near end of Hispanic Heritage Month and make fun of stereotypes of Latinos in a fit-for-all way.
“We thought of comedy because it is a big way to energize schools and I hope we can have something like this in years to follow,” said Mario Batres, event organizer and executive vice president of LASO.
Beginning at 7:30 p.m., the first act was a witty, and purposely poorly performed song that made fun of political issues in Chile. Jokes about school resources, labor issues and even voting dilemmas followed for an hour.
There were no sets or costumes. With approximately 40 attendees, the show proved to be personal and interactive, allowing the viewers to imagine what they desired according to the situations played. The scenes got many laughs from the crowd. One specific scene recreated a Hispanic man playing a very bad joke on his fellow Latinos when he yelled out loud at a Latin supermarket: “la migra, la migra!” Meaning: “immigration, immigration!”
After the clever sketch portion ended, improvised skits carried on the show.
Students voiced suggestions and situations for the comedic group of six to act out. In a very “Who’s Line is it Anyway” manner, the comedy group connected Spanish speaking colloquialisms with humorous views on social and political life and stereotypes of Latinos.
“Oh, I’m so sorry I’m late! You know us Mexicans, we are always late,” was just one example of skits addressing Latino stereotypes.
After 90 minutes, the show ended with the entire cast introducing themselves and providing information about their group. The organizers of the event, as well as students, said they were satisfied with the performance. “I liked the show very much, it wasn’t focused on one thing,” said Rico Savage, Jr., a junior psychology major. “It was broad, funny, and had much personality.”
“Salsation!” is a comedic company that originated in Chicago after realizing there were not enough Latin comedic companies, and Latinos were stuck as tokens for humor, said one of the performers. In 1997 the company collected as a country-wide touring comedic ensemble.
They cater to schools, offices, community groups and others, claiming that, “everybody can get the humor and Latin flavor.” For information or bookings, visit www.salsation.com.
LASO is preparing to end Hispanic Heritage Month Thursday with “Latin Night” at afterHOURS.
“Hispanic Heritage Month went really well. It is the first year where we have an actual month filled with events that tried to appeal to every person,” said LASO President Nadine Yaver. “LASO is ready to be bold and expand, but also to empower its current members.”
