The Latino Comedy Project's ¡Estar Guars! Looks at Star Wars Through a Latino Lens

If there's one thing we have more than enough of right now, it's Star Wars parodies. It seems like everyone who thinks they have a single funny bone in their body has at least tried to breathe heavy into a microphone to mimic history's most famous Sith lord or speak in broken English to imitate Yoda.

However, there's one Star Wars parody heading to town this weekend for a four-show run at the Latino Cultural Center that's worth watching. Why? Because unlike those other parodies, it's about something much more than the world's most merchandised movie franchise.

Cara Mía Theatre is presenting a local production of the Latino Comedy Project's ¡Estar Guars! described as "a loving homage of live comedy, original videos and visual spectacle" of the fourth episode (technically the first film) of director George Lucas' space soap opera.

The shows opens at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, and runs through the weekend, with shows at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9, in the cultural center's performance hall on Live Oak Street.

The Austin comedy troupe's parody of the sci-fi saga retells the story of the young, whiny Luke Skywalker's journey to battle an oppressive regime with a Latin twist. Characters like Han Solo and Chewbacca and renamed as Han Cholo and Chuy-bacca who do battle with a luchador-infused Sith lord named Darth Vendido to save the Resistenca's fearless Princesa Leis Organa-Cortez, a character inspired by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The show is more than just a live retelling of a cinematic classic through a Latino lens. It's also a multimedia show complete with hilarious, animated recreations of classic Star Wars moments.

Some scenes show how Solo's Millennium Falcon is replaced with a flying pickup truck, and the wise and powerful master Yoda is turned into the wise and equally powerful Master Yola. This Yola is a sweet, petite abuelita who is wise in the ways of the universe and not the Miraluka Jedi Master Yola from Star Wars: The Old Republic, who served as a Jedi Consular during the Cold War between the Galactic Empire and the newly formed Sith Empire. You know, if you're the sort of person who might know such a thing without having to do a Google search.

The show even offers a little behind-the-scenes action as director Jorge Lucas pulls back the curtain on his epic Spanish space opera throughout the experience. Will he be able to resist the urge to go back to the well for one more unnecessary prequel or will he succumb to the dark forces of the Disney empire?

The Austin sketch comedy group created its Star Wars satire in 2018 after a successful Kickstarter campaign raised more than $16,000 to produce the show for its May the 4th/Cinco De Mayo Comedy Fiesta.

The show pulls no punches, as it uses the world's most famous sci-fi epic to tackle serious subjects such as immigration, cultural appropriation and even politics as the evil empire attempts to "MAGGA (Make a Galaxy Great Again)," according to its opening scroll.