Students say hola to OLAA

Saturday night the Organization of Latin American Affairs presented their 8th Annual Culture Show at Boston College's Robsham Theatre. And, while it may have lacked the glistening grandeur of some of BC's recent cultural performances, it more than made up for this with its intimate storyline and casual attitude.

Hosted by two recent BC graduates, the show's short skits, which comprised an overarching storyline, were interspersed with games to "entertain the audience;" the best diversions from the main theme, however, were the guest performances by local dance group Elaborate Funk and BC's Fuego Del Corazon. Fuego, always a crowd favorite, was overshadowed only by some of the show's quieter - but surprisingly thoughtful - moments.

Subtitled Nuestra Historia (Our Story), the show follows an old Felicita Carter as she details her parents' youth, her own youth, and the youth of her children. A particularly amusing moment occurs when Felicita's mother, in a 1920s Latin American café, has trouble pronouncing her Chinese to-be-beau's last name. This subtle disparity between cultural dialect is just one of many ethnic issues approached throughout the two-hour show, but the majority of the show is spent, as O.L.A.A.'s statement reflects, articulating and promoting the needs of the Latin American community at BC.

Exploring the Latino culture with regards to family-life in 20th century America, the show displays humorous aspects, festive ones, and at times rather serious moments. Everything is handled eloquently, including enough Latin attitude to make its largely Latino audience feel at home, while at the same time making the story equally entertaining to the folks who may not know much Spanish.

The only drawback to the intimate approach was that some dialogue went unheard, either due to the performers speaking too quietly, or the audience's wholehearted laughter. No one's enjoyment was diminished, but a few technical improvements could have increased the show's entertainment value.

In all, it was an intriguing evening stock full of cultural insight, especially to an outside observer. The opening "fashion show" collage was, with the majority of Latin American countries' native dresses beautifully displayed by dancers, a particular highlight.