‘Latinologues’ Defies Borders With Wit

Refocused as a comedy show, the latest incarnation of “Latinologues 98” at the Improv successfully delivers plenty of laughs, without compromising its more serious theatrical roots.

Bawdy jokes and satirical jabs accent Rick Najera’s well-written portraits of Latino outsiders trying to find their place in our confused times. Brought to life by an able cast pared down to Najera and co-stars Jacob Vargas and Maria Costa, these diverse characters span many rungs of society--from a mineral water-swilling movie exec to a macho busboy.

Najera excels as a Mexican Moses, an infant found floating down the Los Angeles River and raised by Republicans, who imparts timely commandments to his people like, “Thou shalt pay for your cable installation.” He also does a credible impression of Desi Arnaz pitching “Saving Private Martinez”: “He’s lost four brothers, but still has 15 more to go.”

Najera’s greatest skills are in the writing department, however--on stage, Vargas and Costa put more nuance into their performances, which are both funny and emotionally affecting at the same time. Cleaning up the stage at a Spice Girls concert, Costa’s janitor alternates between groveling and feisty defiance as she tries to persuade the group to audition her; in another sequence, she plays a Cuban hooker who keeps lowering her price until she’s given herself away.

Vargas also displays impressive versatility, appearing as a border-sprinting gardener bragging about his “frequent deportation miles,” a tagger-turned-movie-extra who finally gets a chance to have his picture taken from more than the usual front and side angles, and, in perhaps the most deeply probing sequence, a Mexican American wrestling with the conflicted duality of his origins (“When I found my apartment being looted by my own people, I said, ‘Mom, put down that TV!’ ”).

In their comical grasping at straws to be accepted, these characters reflect an all-too-human desperation that knows no borders.

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* “Latinologues 98,” Improv, 8162 Melrose Ave. Sundays, 8 p.m. Runs indefinitely. $10. (213) 651-2583. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.