'Latin History For Morons' One-Man Play Opens In Tampa

TAMPA, FL — “Latin History for Morons” opens Friday and runs through Dec. 21 at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa.

The one-man play, written and originally performed on Broadway by John Leguizamo, blends humor with history and is part of the theater’s Hispanic Initiative.

The story centers on John, who realizes he needs to step in after learning that his son, an eighth-grader, is being bullied for being Mexican.

“He’s being labeled with slang terms so [John] decides that he’s going to help his son by teaching him about all of the Latin heroes and Latin history,” Nestor Meléndez, who stars in the show and serves on the theater’s board of directors, told Patch.

The energetic show journeys through more than 3,000 years of Latin American history, from ancient civilizations to modern figures, showcasing lesser known facts and stories along the way.

“It’s a counter narrative to what is being taught in the current educational system,” Meléndez said. “He attempts to demystify and lay bare the facts of the true history of Latin people and, by extension, Black people in America.”

He added, “This journey is one of discovery for both John and his son, and, hopefully, the audience.”
While humor is at the heart of play, it’s “a powerful story,” Meléndez said. “I think we also discover it’s a coming of age for a young man who recognizes his power through legacy, through history and what he’s inherited. It’s a beautiful moment that happens when the son kind of wakes up and sees what’s out there.”

Performances of “Latin History for Morons” take place Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and at 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays during the show’s run.