Culture Clash in AmeriCCa
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Salinas, Montoya, Siguenza
Photo by Henry DiRocco
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By Ben Miles
Culture Clash has returned to The OC. This statement isn't an assessment of social tensions behind the Orange Curtain. Rather, Culture Clash is the name of the three-man performance troupe that specializes in so-called site-specific theater. For 15-years the trio--Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza--has been generating performances powered by the local ethos, ethnicities, and idiosyncrasies of various American population centers, including Miami, San Diego, New York, and Houston.
The latest Clash creation, Culture Clash in AmeriCCa-- onstage at South Coast Repertory's Julianne Argyros Stage, through April 6-- is OC-centric, with references to various county scandals (the disgrace of ex-Sheriff Mike Corona, for instance) and communities ("Orange County from A to Y, there is no Z" is a pleasing shout-out to each of the 34 municipalities within the Big Orange). Of course, the theatrical threesome also incorporates the voices of the many characters they've encountered from around the nation. Indeed, on exhibit are a multitude of monologues, as well as much dialogue, literally taken from, and inspired by, interviews the players have conducted with all types of people, in locations across the country.
We hear what prosperous Cuban-American's have to say about South Florida; they're apparently happy with the rewards of the "free-enterprise" system. We're given insight into the mind-frame of some New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage. One bit cleverly illustrates the ambiguity of the Caribbean archipelago's relationship to the United States, when one character, strolling in Manhattan, asks directions to the Puerto Rican embassy. Also, we encounter a loving lesbian couple from San Diego. In one laugh-inducing interlude, we witness how the ladies' self-acceptance and high-wit delivers them from what might otherwise have been an ugly incident of harassment.
Culture Clash is a skilled comedy ensemble. But the Clash is about more than guffaws. This is theater from the streets, and while some theatergoers may die laughing during the proceedings, Culture Clash is conveying a message through their mirroring of society. Warning: Some others may wish to kill the messenger.
Under the spirited direction of David Emmes, the disparate words and thought-bubbles collected by the Clash are cobbled into a coherent-enough narrative. What's more, Montoya, Salinas, and Siguenza thoroughly embody the numerous personas on display. Whether it's two pot-puffing old biddies (Montoya and Salinas, humorously homely in drag) discussing a "nephew" who's been attending Orange Coast Community College for 13-years, or a transgendered Laguna Beach "lady" describing her upcoming reconstructive surgery (Siguenza, convincing in non-coiffed blonde extensions)--the Clash crew demonstrates high commitment to characterization--and not only of individuals, but also of cultures and communities. Dare we call it socio-drama?
Culture Clash in AmeriCCa plays Tuesday through Sunday at 7:45 p.m. Matinees are Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. For reservations, dial (714) 708 - 5555. For more information, visit www.scr.org.
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