“There were more dinosaurs and extra-terrestrials on TV than there were Latinos!” explains Rick Najera. Latino actors needed jobs so he created Latinologues. Is it autobiographical? He answers an enthusiastic, “YES! All the characters are real. Someone I met somewhere, somehow. At the end their lives are intertwined because that’s life. This is a story about life in America.”


The hysterical deportation officer, played by Rick Najera, says, “Why do we need borders? The Great Wall of China didn’t work. The Berlin Wall, didn’t work.” He’s the Border Patrol and he thinks there should be no borders? But that’s life, that’s real. The characters are real and so are the messages behind the characters. Politically charged lines such as that one are sprinkled throughout the show. “The show plants a seed, a challenge in your mind. The next time you see the Dominican janitor, you might think twice before passing him by.” explains René Laván.


One of the favorite characters, played by Shirley Rumierk, wants to reign as Miss Puerto Rican Day Parade – forever! There is also the Just-found-out-last-week-I-was-Latino, played by Rick Najera, who because of his newfound Latino-ness gets a promotion, to produce Latino Hollywood movies. Mexican Moses, played by Eugenio Derbez, was also a favorite. The first of the Latino Ten Commandments: Thou shall not be late! There was the Salvadorian Mom who had a vampire for a son! Eugenio Derbez, was great as the very religious, my-son-can-do-no-wrong Latina Mom. The much anticipated Dominican janitor, played by René Laván, was so powerful that this New York audience became so deafeningly quiet, you could have sworn there was no one in the theater!


Other favorites were the gangster drugdealers, the Cuban call-girl, Elian and his father, remember them? What happened to poor Elian? Latinologues has the answer! You must see Latinologues to find out! You’ll have many laughs and a lot to talk about with all those political/social messages sprinkled throughout the show.


First Broadway show, written, directed and performed by Latinos. How can you miss it? If you are Anglo take your employees with you to the show! If you’re Latino, take your cousins!