Review: THE BEST OF WOMEN OFF-COLOUR at The Second City

An Indian, a Lebanese Armenian, and a Puerto Rican take the stage at The Second City, and they’re bringing their best, thanks to commercial producer Pop Up! Productions, following a celebrated run at Steppenwolf Theatre's LookOut series, a sold-out engagement at Red Orchid, and a tour to San Francisco's Playground Theatre. Mantra, Anelga Hajjar, and Alondra Rios make up the acclaimed sketch-comedy collective, Women Off-Colour, and this limited run of their signature sketches cuts deep with its familiarity, humor, and wit.  

The Best of Women Off-Colour is a fast-paced, carefully curated show that is the perfect blend of race, culture, gender, and politics. With some sketches lasting mere seconds, and some original songs and sharp parodies, we’re exposed to a wide range of experiences, emotions, and potentially repressed memories. On the small and intimate stage at Judy’s Beat Lounge, it’s a simple set that allows for quick transitions, making the most out of chairs and mics with limited props and costume changes that is the name of the game with sketch comedy.

The clear chemistry among the three actors in each sketch can be attributed to the deep relationship they actually have with each other, strengthening the show as a whole, and each performer had their moments to shine. Anelga stood out with her physical comedy, from trying on Hollister jeans to an over-the-top dance break. Whenever Mantra slapped on a mustache, she perfectly embodied male energy, whether that was through stoicism, confusion, or emotional trauma. While all three actors had a chance to sing, rap, and harmonize, Alondra really got to belt it out and show off her pipes at times. There’s a brilliant moment of crowd work where Anelga, Mantra, and Alondra were on stage as their mothers, giving advice and critiquing outfits of audience members with all-too-familiar pointed remarks. There were also several bilingual scenes from Mantra and Alondra showing off their Spanish (or Spanglish) that embraces their language while painting a vivid picture of being raised as a third-culture kid. 

Their work is inherently self-aware in the way that only Gen-Z immigrants/children of immigrants can write comedy, leaning into the stereotypes and dominant narratives about marginalized communities, only to then subvert our expectations with clever twists and punchlines. While there are already many jokes out there tearing apart the painfully common line “where are you from from?” and remarks about “exotic names”, Women Off-Colour is still able to give an original, fresh spin to this casual racism and micro-aggressions that remain pervasive in everyday life. Any member of the cultural diaspora is sure to resonate with the various themes throughout the show. As the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, I certainly felt seen, heard, and understood. Some personal favorites include a sketch about the relationship with immigrant fathers and how little we know about their lives, and another highlighting the stark cultural differences when it comes to splitting the check vs. fighting to the death to treat a friend. 

A central theme explored across the sketches are relationships — with oneself, with immigrant parents, with partners, with friends. A recurring sketch throughout the night is a pageant that includes fake answers about confidence and insecurities, a rap battle, and the ultimate test of sisterhood and empowerment when it’s named how women of color are often pitted against each other. It’s a poignant and heartfelt message that would’ve been a powerful end to the show, but we’re left with one more black comedy musical sketch that felt like an odd choice as a finale. Aside from that, the pacing and variety of experiences highlighted throughout the show worked really well in hitting different comedic cues while reaching different levels of emotional depth. 

Alondra, Anelga, and Mantra delivered a night full of laughter, reflection, and levity in breaking down the culture — and internal — clash that comes with having an intersectional and multidimensional identity in the United States. Women Off-Colour’s hour-long curation of what it means to be a woman of color during this time is an honest yet joyful examination of this cultural reckoning that is sure to entertain in the best possible way.

The Best of Women Off-Colour is at Judy’s Beat Lounge at The Second City for one more show on Thursday, July 30 at 8:30pm. Tickets are $20. 

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