When fellow rising comic Glorelys Mora and I first met within the comedy scene — it was an immediate connection. I used to be in awe of her capacity to seize and materialize folks’s want for expression by way of comedy. Her willpower and contagious, guttural chortle drew me in, and we shortly bonded over our shared experiences and challenges as Dominican comedians. As comics, we spent hours discussing how tough it was to achieve help and recognition in an trade that always overlooks voices like ours. Our conversations sparked a imaginative and prescient: to create a devoted platform that might elevate Dominican voices in comedy.
Once we began Morir Soñando, it was a enterprise born out of necessity and a deep love for our tradition. I would lengthy felt comedy was lacking one thing essential — an genuine illustration of Dominican voices. Whereas the comedy scene is vibrant and numerous, Dominican comedians usually lack a platform that celebrates our distinctive views and experiences. This hole in illustration motivated us to create an area the place our tales could possibly be advised unapologetically.
I typically joke about being emotionally constipated. What I imply by that’s I do not know the way to cry, however I do know the way to make a joke about it. Laughter grounds the second and transcends folks’s identification and standing. It is the very factor that reminds us we’re alive and current. Comedy is like feeding medication with sweet; it brings consciousness to tough subjects with levity. And consequently, it usually helps us with our psychological well being and thru a few of life’s most difficult moments, together with loss and trauma.
Rising up, I usually felt lonely as a child who struggled with despair, however humor was the one factor that saved me from feeling utterly remoted. Humor and laughter deliver folks collectively. It does not matter what you are going by way of; laughter acknowledges that you’re current within the second with others, whether or not you realize them or not. Making jokes about being an affair baby makes me really feel like much less of a burden to my household as a result of I get to deliver levity to such a critical situation. It additionally lets folks like me know they are not alone. A chortle can heal somebody’s ache and struggling.
In relation to comedy, comedy is such an important approach of communication in my household. That is how we handled our trauma. I did not know I used to be humorous till folks advised me, and I used to be capable of develop and understand I may make a residing off of this. However I additionally do not see many individuals like me making strides on this trade. After I first noticed Aida Rodriguez on “Final Comedian Standing” in 2014, I felt an immediate connection as a result of her experiences have been so relatable to mine. It wasn’t till I grew to become a comic that I noticed how underrepresented we’re.
However that additionally means we continually face a crossroads on this trade: will we assimilate or pave our personal approach? Within the American market, stand-up comedy is usually seen as both Black or white. As an American, I embrace my Blackness, however what about my mother and father’ Dominican identification and my upbringing at residence? Ought to I shut down that a part of me to be extra palatable for the “mainstream”?
Glorelys and I wished to create an area for folks like us to navigate these questions — much like what Def Comedy Jam did for the Black American neighborhood. I at all times associated extra to Black American comics as a result of their comedy was sincere and uncooked, reflecting struggles much like mine. Nonetheless, there was restricted area for individuals who appeared like me and in addition spoke Spanish.
In the end, the inspiration for Morir Soñando got here from a profound have to see ourselves mirrored on stage, not simply as a token presence, however as the principle occasion. Over 42 million people in America speak Spanish. It is inevitable for folks to be bilingual and converse Spanglish on this nation. We wished to create one thing that evolves the dialog round Latinidad, exhibiting that it isn’t a monolith however as numerous as each American on this nation. Our comedy exhibits should not meant to exclude any nationality; fairly the alternative. We wish to embrace others whereas creating a spot the place expertise like ours can join with individuals who won’t have recognized we exist.
We launched our first present in 2019 to spotlight and have fun Dominican comedians, showcasing our wealthy cultural heritage and the humor that springs from it. Final yr, we made historical past with a present on the United Palace, an achievement that underscored the significance and influence of our mission. We’re returning to United Palace for our subsequent present on July 26 and are thrilled to be shifting to the venue’s principal theater, which seats audiences of as much as 3,350, for our November present.
Nonetheless, producing these occasions has not been with out its challenges. Financially, it has been extremely demanding. Securing help from the neighborhood is essential to maintain and develop these occasions. It is notoriously tough to get Latine occasions sponsored, so Glorelys and I financed it ourselves, which displays broader problems with illustration and help for minority communities within the arts.
Regardless of these challenges, we now have had important wins. Our previous exhibits’ success and growing viewers help give us hope and motivation. However the highway forward requires a concerted effort from our neighborhood. We have to come collectively to help and uplift one another, recognizing the significance of cultural occasions like Morir Soñando.
I wish to be candid about our frustrations — securing funding, discovering the correct venues, and battling stereotypes — as a result of these obstacles make our victories sweeter. We’re pleased with what we now have completed to date and are excited for the longer term.
Morir Soñando is not only a comedy present however a celebration of Dominican tradition, a platform for underrepresented voices, and a motion in direction of larger inclusivity within the comedy world. Your help is important in serving to us proceed this journey, and we look ahead to sharing many extra laughs and tales with you.
Sasha Merci is a first-generation Dominican American actor, comic, and viral digital creator. She showcases over a decade of numerous expertise in leisure with roles in movies like “Righteous Thieves” and “De Lo Mio,” together with collaborations with famend manufacturers corresponding to Goal and Bumble. She shares her Bronx roots and keenness for Latine tradition by being vocal about psychological well being and navigating comedy.
