Culture Clash’s Zorro in Hell! is unlike anything you’ll see anywhere around
town.  Not quite a play, it is reminiscent of Bob Hope comedy specials in
its non-stop barrage of one-liners and outrageous characters, which
skewer everything from our mayor to our governor to our President.

Yes, this Zorro is very political, and those on the conservative side of the
political spectrum will probably not be amused.  But those who like their
theater daring and edgy (and funny) will find a lot to enjoy in Culture
Clash’s journey back and forth in time, combining California history with
the legend of the masked man who “made the sign of the Z” (much of
which came out of the over 50 Zorro movies Hollywood has made). 

Culture Clash (aka Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza)
portray a Hollywood writer researching a project, a bear (the real animal,
not a hairy gay man), and the world’s oldest Chicano, and they are ably
assisted by Sharon Lockwood as a 200 year old woman (who would
appear to have met every major figure in California history), Joseph
Kamal as a scene-stealing Zorro, and Ezequiel Guerra Jr. as a homeland
security officer, among other characters.  Special credit must go to the
sensational set design of Christopher Acebo, which incorporates a
dazzling array of projected images, as well as the original music of
Vincent Christopher Montoya, which captures the feel of Mexican
California with a touch of Hollywood added to the mix.

That Zorro in Hell! should be presented at the Ricardo Montalban Theater
in Hollywood would seem to be a most fortuitous and appropriate choice
of venues. Totally unlike their award winning (and brilliantly dramatic)
Water and Power, Culture Clash’s Zorro in Hell! is a biting and mostly
hilarious demonstration of their talent and versatility. Where: Ricardo
Montalbán Theatre, 1615 N. Vine St., Hollywood; 8 p.m. Wednesdays
through Fridays, 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays;
Runs through Aug. 19; Tickets: $25 to $55 @ (877) EL-ZORRO or
cultureclash.com; Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes.

--Steven Stanley