By Carol Davis
LA JOLLA, California—–The old proverb that states ‘laughter is the best medicine’ couldn’t be truer than in this, the latest incarnation of Culture Clash’s variation on the theme of immigration. The subject matter is both tragic and perverse. To get the conversation moving and out into the open and to showcase the sham Culture Clash offers the most absurdist of comedies.
Culture Clash founders Rick Salinas, Herbert Siguenza and Richard Montoya have been mucking around in these muddy waters for many, many years. I’m guessing it was over 20 years ago that I saw my first Culture Clash play in a small, black box theatre in downtown San Diego just in back of the old, shuttered up Balboa Theatre.
Over the years, the group has been commissioned and awarded grants to write plays for specific theatres, as was the case with the 2003 piece Bordertown. In it, 100 people from all walks of life including then mayor of San Diego Roger Hedgcock and Sheriff Bill Kolender, along with ordinary citizens from both sides of the American/Mexico border, were interviewed and real life and current events during that time frame were the targets of the group’s piece.
Still wagging that satirical and outrageous trump card, American Night: The Ballad of Juan José is a wild and wooly ride through American history, written by Montoya and developed by Culture Clash and Jo Bonney with direction by Bonney. Political correctness be damned, Culture Clash is an equal opportunity offender so thicken up your skin if you plan a trip to see this biting romp.
It starts out simply enough with a trio of singers on the stage and quickly segues into the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (at the end of the Mexican-American war) where, in essence, the U.S. took about 55 percent of land belonging to Mexico and added ten more states to its territories. Well?
Here’s the deal, sort of: Juan José (René Millán), a police officer who lives in Mexico, wants desperately to get out of Mexico where graft and corruption (read cartel) are running rampant and he fears for his life. He crosses the border illegally and with the help of the Mormons gains residency but citizenship is another story as is his encounter with the Mormons.
His real journey begins when he pulls out a study guide in preparation for his test that will gain him citizenship and in turn he can send for his wife Lydia (Stephanie Beatriz) and baby. “Name the three branches of government” and “Name The Original Thirteen Colonies” was where he fell off to sleep, I think. When he does nod off, his dreams and nightmares follow the history of the two countries with the emphasis on immigration, in a series of what might look to some as drug-inducedvignettes.
The historical figures he meets up with, keeping in mind that each person was one he studied about in his books, are reruns of what ‘Clashes’’ mind’s eye sees. Not in any particular order we meet Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea, Teddy Roosevelt (he’s always a good caricature of himself), Ku Klux Klan hoodlums, including a small baby in a KKK outfit (that was scary) who is sick and is looked after by Black nurse Viola Pettus (Kimberly Scott), a skit about the Mexican/American war, Jackie Robinson shows up, as does Harry Bridges the San Francisco labor organizer along with Juan’s own grandfather, a Mexican Revolutionary, and General Custer.
Along the landscape, projections are flashed on to what looks like a moving train from past to present (Neil Patel and Shawn Sagady) showing scenes from the Japanese interment camps, the gold rush days, the abuse of African-Americans, American natives, scenes from Woodstock with Montoya as Bob Dylan, along with the hippie movement, corrupt police and every other target they could find. No one escapes their grip.
Just when you thought you saw it all, shouts from the audience rose out praising the Tea Party and pointing fingers. Every other fringe group had their say. Some climbed the stage others stood in the audience. A little mini town hall meeting emerged bringing everyone and every point of view together pointing and wagging fingers, grabbing the mikes as the audience tried to follow along and decide whose side we were on. Just short of chaos, it ended as abruptly as it began.
Herbert Siguenza’s great rendering of Neil Diamond is fabulous as was his impression of Arizona tough guy Sheriff Joe Arpaio that won him cheers for the first and jeers for the latter.A line dance done by ICE agents hit the funny bone. No question, Culture Clash has a serious message. This one, while spot on and funny over all, seemed to ramble a bit too much for this reviewer.
The talented cast of nine looked more like 20as all took on multiple roles, changed at least a dozen time into some outrageous costumes (Esosa) and performed comedy from the ridiculous to the sublime including some ‘give me a break’ to laugh out loud, to commedia del arte to burlesque. And while the show is billed as a 90-minute, no-intermission show at times (and I know I’m in a minority), it seemed to go on forever.
See you at the theatre.
Dates: through Feb. 26th
Organization: La Jolla Playhouse
Phone: 858-550-1010
Production Type: Comedy
Where: 2970 La Jolla Village Drive
Ticket Prices: $38.00-$74.00
Web: lajollaplayhouse.org
Venue: Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
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Davis is a San Diego-based theatre reviewer who may be contacted at carol.davis@sdjewishworld.com