Chicago’s comedy scene is legendary, known around the world for producing top talent at clubs like The Second City, iO Theater, Laugh Factory, Zanies, and more. A monthly standup show in Logan Square highlights Latino comedians.
Buena Onda Comedy producer Katherine Diaz has wanted to be a performer since she was a child.
“I was born in Los Angeles, but I actually grew up in a small Central American city – Des Moines, Iowa,” she said.
A few years ago, she took a chance and went through The Second City Conservatory program.
“Honestly, standup itself always scared the crap out of me,” she said. “Life doesn’t last forever, obviously, so I just decided to go for it and see what I could do with it.”
Now she’s performing regularly at clubs around the city and region, as well as producing and hosting Buena Onda Comedy, which showcases Latino standup comedians.
“I don’t know a Latina who sings to Tate McCrae, ok? ‘Lie to me,’ ‘Stupid,’ these are just regular conversations for us,” she said at one recent performance.
The show performs the third Friday of every month at The Lincoln Lodge in Logan Square.
“Buena Onda means ‘good vibes’ and that’s what I want to bring. That’s what I love to bring in comedy,” she said.
What can people expect when they come to a Buena Onda Comedy show?
“Every show is different, it’s a different lineup, it’s different jokes, but there’s such a vibe,” she said.
Along with the good vibes, Diaz said Buena Onda’s mission has an important impact.
“I think it’s important to … preserve that space for our Latino performers,” she said.
Diaz said she didn’t have exposure to many Latina comics when she was younger, but now seeing talent that reflects her own stories and those of her community is inspiring to her.
“We Latinos have so much to offer in terms of talent, and gifts, and personality, and our own experience, right? Like our own culture; humor is a huge part of our culture,” she said.
With ongoing immigration enforcement crackdowns, and comedians a target for punishment for what they say, Diaz said as a Latina comic, telling jokes into a microphone has a role to play in her community persisting through difficult times.
“Joy, laughter, comedy, love, community; those are the ways that we’re going to be able to handle what’s being thrown at us right now,” Diaz said.
