“It’s so interesting to see Orange County in kind of this postcard image. On the outside, it’s all oranges, perfect weather, beach and a place where TV shows and movies are being filmed,” Siguenza said.
The group is based in Los Angeles, and spent three days in Orange County interviewing and searching for the “real” O.C., not the one people are used to seeing portrayed on television.
“It’s when you dig deeper that you find there are a lot of hot-topic issues,” Siguenza said, issues that include immigration, corruption, the economy, politics and the cost of housing. National issues that are being talked about all across the country.
Culture Clash has been touring for the last five years, visiting cities like New York, Miami and Washington, D.C., acquiring material for city-specific plays.
Portraying the characters, instead of just telling stories and commenting on what they observe, brings a different perspective to the show, challenging an audience to think differently and leave their preconceived notions at the door.
“We provoke and shock the audience,” Salinas said.
South Coast Repertory’s Artistic Director, David Emmes, is directing the show, and said
the trio are “very good chroniclers of society,” often looking in places most of us wouldn’t think to look.
“There are the people in the shadows, and they’re finding really unique and important stories to tell,” Emmes said.
The trio said the biggest surprise they came across was the swinging couples club in Orange, with a membership of about 3,000.
Salinas and Siguenza portray a couple in the show, and they said they felt like “nerds” when they toured there.
