LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS

John Leguizamo looks back at his cultural heritage in LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS (photo by Joan Marcus)

Anspacher Theater, the Public Theater
425 Lafayette St. at Astor Pl.
Tuesday through Sunday through April 28, $50-$100
212-539-8500
www.publictheater.org

Last July, Iowa Republican congressman Steve King claimed that only white Christians have made significant contributions to Western civilization throughout time. Emmy- and Obie-winning actor and comedian John Leguizamo sets King — and the rest of us — straight in his latest one-man show, Latin History for Morons, running at the Public’s Anspacher Theater through April 28. In such previous works as Mambo Mouth, Spic-O-Rama, Freak, Ghetto Klown, and Sexaholix . . . A Love Story, the Colombia native inhabited multiple characters to explore what it was like growing up in Queens and, eventually, reaching success as an actor. He also plays numerous roles in Latin History, but for the most part he’s just himself, a concerned father, upset that he knows so little about his heritage. His shy, sensitive teenage son, who is being bullied by a white classmate, is assigned to write a paper on a hero, and Leguizamo decides he will help find a historical Latino the boy can be proud of. Dressed like a professor, Leguizamo stomps around Rachel Hauck’s messy set, laden with boxes of books, papers and articles taped and pinned to the back wall, and, in the center, a two-sided blackboard where he shares surprising facts about the Taíno, the Aztecs, the Incas, and the Maya as well as Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, and Moctezuma II. Meanwhile, he keeps trying to help his son, whom he affectionately calls “honey” and “buddy.” Leguizamo is embarrassed that he has no quick comebacks when he confronts the bully’s father, who has some bully tactics of his own, so the project is as much for himself as for his son.

John Leguizamo sets the record straight on the impact of Latinos throughout history in latest one-man show (photo by Joan Marcus)

Leguizamo, who has also appeared in such films as Carlito’s Way, Super Mario Bros., Summer of Sam, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar in addition to voiceover roles in such children’s movies as the Ice Age series, occasionally breaks into choppy native dances when discussing older civilizations, and his interactions with the audience are hit or miss. (Some audience members chime in on their own when they hear something specific about their heritage.) He talks about the importance of books and education, using chalk and an eraser to keep things lively; in fact, when he dances or pounds himself in the chest, a white chalk residue disperses into the air, as if he’s getting rid of the dust surrounding these facts. This is a more mature Leguizamo, though no less unpredictable and funny, as at home referencing Howard Zinn and George Santayana as he is making a Kardashian joke (and a darn good one it is). As in his previous shows, he’s not afraid to get deeply personal; he even portrays his own psychiatrist as he deals with some difficult issues. He’s also more conscious than ever about word choice, carefully avoiding certain terms now considered insensitive and derogatory. Directed by Tony Taccone (Bridge & Tunnel, Brundibar) of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where the show was workshopped as part of the Ground Floor incubator program, Latin History for Morons is another triumph for Leguizamo, who once again displays his unique way of looking at the world. “I’m getting too old for this shit,” the still-youthful fifty-two-year-old Leguizamo says at one point. As his latest one-man show ably displays, he is most certainly not too old for this, and neither are we.