'Culture Clash in AmeriCCa' makes its way to San Jose
By Patricia Ho
You are at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, seated amongst conservative-looking 40- and 50-year-olds who have paid anywhere from $36 to $48 to be here. A man on stage draws a picture of an erect penis and has the audience roaring with laughter.
What is going on here?
It is the opening night of "Culture Clash in AmeriCCa." Directed by Tony Taccone, Culture Clash is a trio of comedians consisting of Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza.
In any other context, intimate anatomical parts might not be considered material for humor of good taste, but in the hands of Culture Clash, even the most inappropriate subject matter is right at home.
Such subject matter ranges from a transvestite waiting for his sex-change operation to a self-starting Korean woman. Often marginalized or ignored in mainstream imagination, Culture Clash digs up the social pariahs, the bottom-feeders and puts them on stage.
The show is the result of interviews conducted across the country, compiled into roughly two hours of skits. Montoya, Salinas and Siguenza seem to know their subjects so well, it is almost creepy how effortlessly and aptly they play the range of characters. From accents to gestures, the trio has it down pat.
Not that the show is merely an exercise in performance or vocal chord gymnastics.
Culture Clash has a social agenda and it is conveyed through the perspective of a disillusioned Vietnam War veteran living in Tijuana, conversations between recent immigrants and narratives of prison inmates, to list a few.
Most poignantly, however, it is told through the selection of people that Culture Clash has chosen to portray.
The show celebrates the subaltern and the multitude of people that make up society, exploring what it means to belong in America and to be American. This is patriotism without any banging of war drums.
The set design is pared down and lighting complements the mood of the show so well that its presence is hardly noticeable. For example, lights dim and just barely highlight actors' faces during a solemn skit.
The cast of Culture Clash does a great job countering taboos and addressing social issues in a way that is both enlightening and entertaining.
If there is one shortcoming, it might be the absence of gender issues. Culture Clash move so easily in and out of the skins of different ethnicities, classes and sexualities, perhaps skits touching on such topics would fill out their repertoire more.
Eighteen years since its inception, the show has already debuted in cities across America such as New York, Miami and San Diego.
Culture Clash has also just completed a series of videos for the upcoming "Chicano Now" art exhibit which will tour the nation's top art museums.
"Culture Clash in AmeriCCa" will run until Mar. 2 at the San Jose Repertory in downtown San Jose. One ASL signed performance will take place on Saturday, March 1 at 3pm. Tickets range from $20 to $48 and are half price for students. For more information, visit www.sjrep.com.