comedy
Culture Clash
The Latino comedy troupe Culture Clash jokes about everything from Christopher Columbus to Julio Iglesias. Tonight the laughs
are at Liberty Hall.
By Delin Cormeny Kansan staff writer
Cic Salinas, a member of the comedy troupe Culture Clash, may have had more than one thing in mind when he described the troupe as the "Latino 'Marx' Brothers."
R
One of the skis in the group's "A Bowl of Beings" act brings Cuban revolutionist Ernesto Che Guevara back to life. Guerva appears in the living room of a thoughtful, but bazy, political-redical living in today's world,
who updates Guevara on the worldwide failure of communism since the Latin-American visionary's execution in 1967.
He convinces Guevara to lead a Marxist-type revolution in the United States, beginning with the overthrow of a
Then, Guevara predicts, "Domino's will fall one by one..."
The ski, titled "The Return of Che," is part of tonight's show at 8 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 6 Massachusetts St. The performance is a KU New Directions Series presentation and is partially paid for by the Student Senate activity fee, the Swarthout Society and the University Endowment Association. Tickets are $8 for KU students and $16 for non-students.
The show is a vaudeville-style performance that mixes skits, music, dance, monologues and politics into an unpredictable and biting comedic package.
It is based loosely on the theme of Chicano identity, but various acts address historic, socioeconomical and political topics that range from Christopher Columbus to Salinas near-fatal run-in with a 17-year-old gang member in 1990.
The San Francisco-based troupe was formed on Mexican Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo, in 1984 and featured numerous actors, comedians and poets. The original group was called Comedy Fiesta. It has since changed its name to Culture Clash and narrowed to three performers:
Members of Culture Clash (from left): Ric Salinas, Richard Montoya and Herbert Siguenza.
Saint Louis, a monastery and herelief Sgudenza.
After regrouping, the trio toured nationally on the comedy circuit, but returned to its roots in theater in 1988.
Salinas, Richard Montoya and Herbert Siguenza.
Its first play, "The Mission," ran extensively in Detroit and San Francisco before finding a home at the Los
The play won critical acclaim and caught the eye of Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong fame, who intro-
It was a semi-autobiographical romp about three frustrated Latino actors trying to break into show business. Unsuccessful, they decide to claim fame by kidnapping singer Julio Iglesias.
once a project is on board, which, who introduced Culture Clash to the possibility of a sitcom on the Fox net-
roduced Culture Clash
After three years of negotiation and work, however, the project fell through.
"We felt outliers," Siguenza said. "The final product was something we didn't recognize anymore."
However, the troupe recently took a diversion into movies, by making their big screen debut in the movie "Hero," which recently opened in Lawrence.
The two wanted to retain control of the script and was ductant to perform in a show with a lot of racial jokes.
"We were not willing to give up our voice to get the / prize," he said.
They decided to stick with stage activin
Tonight's show, "A Bowl of Beings," was to be the first sitcom. The Public Broadcasting Service taped it live from Los Angeles and later aired it as part of the PBS-TV's "Great Performance" series.
Montoya said the group's brush with Fox was a mixed blessing because their commitment to promoting multicultural awareness had grown stronger and their message to revise Eurocentric attitudes and history books through laughter had become louder and more urgent.
But, the group agreed, the political agenda always plays second-bill to entertainment.
"We like to entertain first," *Sailinas said.* "We sugar-coat our message. When the audience goes home and uses the other side of their brains and decipers what was said, they realize they were laughing at a serious subject."
The Hispanic American Leadership Organization will sponsor a reception immediately following the show.
Photos courtesy of Culture Clash
reviews
The two sides of "Sarafina"
Kansan Feature Writer
By Janice Swinton
"Sarafina" is a movie about oppression and the struggle of a people to free themselves from apartheid.
The one flaw with the movie is the statement at the end that says "On June 17, 1991, the apartheid laws were repealed," according to two South African KU students who wrote a memoir and who both returned to South Africa this summer.
"Everything in the film was factual, but that statement made me furious," said Gugu Masinga. "I didn't see the point in saying that because, as far as I am concerned, that phrase gives people the idea that it is better in South Africa. But it is not, it is worse."
Gloria Creed is a graduate student from Capetown, South Africa.
"Sarafina" made its debut in
nation two weeks ago. It is the screen version of the Broadway musical of the same name. Both were written by playwright Moongeni Ngema, Sarafina is played by Leleti Khumalo, with Whoopi Goldberg starring as the heroic teacher who defies the system in her own way. Masinga, 32, from Empangeni, Natal township in South Africa, a journalism
*Sarafina" was filmed in South Africa and is dedicated to the 750 students who were murdered in 1976 while demonstrating against apartheid and against being forced to learn the language Afrikaans. The movie is filmed in the Black townships, depicting the way of life and the daily oppression of blacks in South Africa.
asking Nelson what to do, no one goes around asking Mandela what to do," she said. "Mandela is not going to do anything for anyone. He is only one man."
"I didn't like the way Sarafina was always
This film is about young. Black students trying to find ways to better their lives in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation. It shows the rage and intense emotions that have built up in the youth because of the oppression. It was this kind of rage that exploded in 1976 that resulted in the massacre of 750 innocent children.
In the film, as in reality, the students' only weapons are rocks and sticks. In one scene after the white police arrested Whoopi (Ms. Masembuko) and replaced her with a puppet teacher who stuck to the school curriculum. The students protested and were shot down by the white police.
The rage continued to explode with an angry mob of students descending on a Black constable who worked in the church.
Masinga returned to South Africa this summer and found the relationship between Blacks around her home area tense — so tense that people were not moving around freely.
"It is my philosophy as blacks we don't have enough resources and education, we become frustrat-
"But education is the key because we need to know how to deal with things to us," she said. "The educational system for Blacks in
she said. "We have dis placed our anger due to the oppressors, to other people and each other. The organizations instead of unifying and fighting the government are fighting each other."
On her return home Masaing found the students still, just as in the past. He and not going to school
South Africa is very poor. They want us to learn to be subordinate to someone else, but you are not taught to be assertive or productive, just dependent on the government."
Gugu Masinga is a journalism major from Natal township in South Africa.
In the movie many students were arrested, tortured and killed by the government. According to the movie, in 1986, 8,000 children were imprisoned.
"I wish we could have changes without the fighting, but I am not sure we can get freedom without fighting," Masinga said. "We don't have to harass the whites we just want equality."
Gloria Creed, 27, Capetown, South Africa, is a graduate student who also returned home this summer. She echoed Masinga's sentiments about the film. She felt
Story continued Page 8.
Cylon Raider— Like no other band
By M. Olsen
Special to the Kansan
Earlier this year, two of the area's most interesting and exciting bands. Tuber and Bend broke up.
Left with a fair amount of spare time on their hands, Tuber's Jon Shelly (guitar) and Brian Bays (drums) began to play with Bend's Brandon Alkm (guitar) and Charlie Hines (bass). The two had a few solo pieces, but instead stayed in Lawrence and became Colon Raider.
"We started jamming in early spring." Aikin said. "We actually got down to business, playing the same things over and over, later in the spring. They didn't really become songs until around June."
When the group opens for Zoom tomorrow at Hashinger Hall it will only be the band's second gig.
Although Cylon Rider is still very much in the developmental stages, it is already apparent that they are onto something utterly original and will soon be a force to be reckoned on with on the Lawrence music scene. The band's music is a collection of structural soundscapes based on the melodic edgeiness of the jazz music being tapped and topped by the dual guitar damage of Alkin and Sholly.
"Considering the fact we started out totally from scratch, not riding on past glories or past tunes, I'd say we're progressing very well," Sholly said. "I would say our main strength lies in the fact that we don't sound like anybody else around here. Definitely."
While some of the group's songs leave room for jamming, they also have specific structure and pacing. The band likes its songs to build slowly, reaching the point of "let's rock" explosions and then reheating back in.
"We don't just like noise," Alkin said. "I take our songs very seriously. Obviously, we write them with effort or we'd have more of them."
Sholly said the band also had variety in its music.
"Some of the music's actually pretty," he said. "But as far as the total audio/visual experience goes, we're definitely on the ugly side."
True to their name, Cylon Raider have a peculiar fascination with fantasy and technology. They speak excitedly of favorite childhood toys, cannot get nearly enough of the new Sci-Fi Channel and are obsessed with their gear—acquiring effects largely for the purpose of making louder, uglier noises. And they are famous official band of KUGAI, RU Gamers And Role-Players.
"The whole reason I get off on being in a band like this is the sound," Alkin said. "Just the hugeness of amplified electrici-
OCTOBER 8,1992
PAGE 7
Real KU Life begins on the weekend.
calendar
Benchwarmers
Nightlife
Benchwarmers
1601 W, 23rd St.
Tonight - Jeff-n-Jeff
Friday and Saturday - Soul
Food Cafe
Sunday - Pig-sink Party
Wednesday - Jeff-n-Jeff
Brass Apple Sports Bar & Restaurant
The Bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St.
Tonight - Zoom, Crapsupper
Friday - Salty Iguanas
Saturday - Nic Cosmos
Sunday - Groove Alley
Monday - Open mike
Wednesday - Sugar with Bob Mould
Brass Apple Sports Bar & Restaurant 3300 W.15th St.
*Features 10 TVs with satellite dish and Monday Night Football
Congo Bar
Congo Baird
520 N. Third St.
Friday - Billy Spears
Dos Hombres
815 New Hampshire St.
Friday- Chris Seegan
Saturday- Sahara
Down & Undor
801 New Hampshire St.
Friday and Saturday - Smoot Mahooti
Gusto's
925 Iowa St.
Friday and Saturday - Purple Indians
Wednesday - Comedy Night
Henry T's
3520 W. Sixth St.
*Karaoke every Thursday night*
Hockenbury Tavern
1016 Massachusetts St.
Tonight - Milhous Nixons
Friday - Baghdad Jones
Saturday - Lonesome Hounddog
Sunday - Acoustic open mike
International Club 21
106 N. Park St.
Tonight - Groove Academy with DJ Amigo Acid
Friday - Darkened Eden and Wedge
Saturday - Club Jams
Jazzhaus
926 1/2 Massachusetts St.
Calendar continued Page 8.