Video: Julio Torres' COLOR THEORIES Sets HBO Premiere; Watch a Trailer

Fresh off its off-Broadway run, Color Theories, the theatrical spectacle by Julio Torres, will debut on HBO as a comedy special on Friday, March 27 at 8:00 pm and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Check out the trailer now.

In his second HBO comedy special, Peabody-winner Julio Torres presents a helpful guide to understanding the world through his playful interpretations of colors. Taking the stage in New York City as an expert on the inherent traits of particular colors, Julio explores the nuances of rule-based navy blue to the rage of red through hilarious observations from his life and culture at large. Blending stand-up with other media, the comedy special invites audiences to see the people, places and things around them through Julio’s kaleidoscopic lens.

The off-Broadway run began performances at Performance Space New York on September 3, 2025 and was twice extended, running to October 10, 2025. Check out what the critics had to say about the play.

The Color Theories special is written, performed, and directed by Julio Torres; executive producers, Julio Torres, Matthew Vaughan, Olivia Gerke; co-executive producers, Christian Palomares and Christopher Douglas.

The creative team for Color Theories onstage included Tommaso Ortino (scenic designer), Muriel Parra (Costume Designer), Emmanuel Delgado (lighting designer), Christopher Darbassie (sound designer),  Lia Ouyang Rusli (composer), André Azevedo Sweet (video & projections designer), Sam Levy (director of photography), Monkey Boys Productions (puppets and puppetry), and Jack Serio (artistic consultant).

About Julio Torres

Julio Torres is an award-winning Brooklyn-based writer, director, and comedian from El Salvador. His work on “Saturday Night Live” earned four Emmy nominations and received wide acclaim. His first solo hour, “My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres,” received rave reviews and was released as an HBO comedy special in 2019.

Torres co-created and starred in both of HBO’s Peabody Award-winning series “Los Espookys,” alongside Fred Armisen and Ana Fabrega, as well as “Fantasmas,” which he also wrote and directed. Torres made his feature directorial debut with A24’s “Problemista,” which he wrote and starred in alongside Tilda Swinton. His first book, “I Want to Be a Vase,” was published by Simon & Schuster in 2023.

Photo Credit: Emilio Madrid/HBO