Members of Los Complicados, from left, Nelson Gomez,
Vanessa Codorniu, Carolina Sanchez, Mila Kreichman Sara B. and Dan H.

For Vanessa Codorniu and her group of performers, it’s complicated. Literally. Because that’s their name.

Los Complicados.

“This is why we chose our name,” Codorniu explained recently, with a laugh. “We’re complicated voices in comedy. We’re not just trying to be funny. We’re trying to tell truths, too, and that’s tough in this day and age.”

While it might be tough, Los Complicados has found something of a sweet spot at the Harrisburg Improv Theatre, where the troupe frequently performs. According to Codorniu, their performances almost always pack the theater, leaving some latecomers on the outside looking in.

And to think—the group isn’t even one year old.

Taking the stage for the first time in October 2024, Codorniu gathered her fellow performers for two months of practice before they brought their act to the public. The idea for a Latino improv team in central Pennsylvania had been floating through Codorniu’s mind for a while, but it wasn’t until she started attending the Harrisburg Improv Theatre that she was able to bring her vision to life.

“When I joined the Harrisburg Improv Theatre, everyone around me was mostly white,” said Codorniu, who also teaches at the theater. “But the owners are amazing and supportive of diversity. So, when I brought the idea to them, I was like, ‘We’re doing this,’ and they got on board.”

After performing for the first time, she told the owners, “If they don’t let us do it every month, we’re going to die,” she added jokingly.

“But they saw us and said we were so far ahead of the game,” she said. “Since then, this has been my home.”

Introspection
Codorniu has turned that home into a dynamic show that takes pride in being what she thought might be the first-ever Latino improv team in all of Pennsylvania. One minute, performers are dancing to Bad Bunny songs while, the next, they seamlessly transition into dissecting the legacy of a chancla.

The prolific nature of the group didn’t come as an accident. Spending most of her childhood in New York City, Codorniu fell in love with improv after she came across the Harrisburg Improv Theatre and threw herself into the process. From there, a distinct curiosity took over. Not only did she thrive making people laugh, but she took pride in forcing them to think, as well.

Case in point: stereotypes and communication.

When it comes to the former, Codorniu is quick to point out how she’s been subjected to a lot of “not nice” Latino stereotypes, and Los Complicados makes it a point to use only stereotypes that she deems “lovable.”

As for the latter, Codorniu ensures that nothing gets lost in translation, including scenes that may be done entirely in Spanish. Codorniu will stand at the front of the stage and translate all that’s being said so nobody misses the punchlines.

“We want to let people in on both the story and the joke,” she said. “We want to share stories that are real and then create made-up stuff off of that. It’s about educating as much as it is about anything else.”

That introspection has led to the group’s members finding an even deeper appreciation for what they do.

“Los Complicados has been a wonderful addition to my life in Harrisburg,” member Carolina Sanchez noted. “Every time we play, I feel like we are bringing more Latinos into this space that was previously reserved for other non-Hispanic populations. I am so happy that I now have a community of Latinos to engage with while doing this fun hobby.”

Healing
As for the future of Los Complicados, Codorniu explained that she has no intention of slowing it down. Instead, she’s excited to expand the show to festivals, cultural centers and other theaters. Locally, they will continue to perform at the Harrisburg Improv Theatre every third Friday of the month.

In the meantime—and despite the troupe’s name—there’s nothing complicated about the impact the group has had on Codorniu. Without Los Complicados, she noted, she doesn’t know where she would find a place to fit in as well as she does both within the group and at the theater.

“For me, this has been very healing,” she said. “Being from New York, I don’t know where I could have gone to find other people like me—maybe a Spanish church, but I didn’t end up doing that. Now, this is the only place where everyone has an abuela and the common denominator is Spanish.”

She chuckled to herself.

“Everyone laughs,” she said. “And I guess it doesn’t matter where you are from, because we are all human in the end.”

The Harrisburg Improv Theatre is located at 1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.hbgimprov.com. Follow on IG @latino_improv_los_complicados.

Upcoming Performances:

* LoS CoMpLiCaDoS perform every third Friday of the month at 8:30 p.m. at the Harrisburg Improv Theatre.

* York Fringe Festival, Sept. 6, 4 to 5 p.m., The Hangar, 441 E Market St., Suite 4101, York

* Hispanic Heritage Festival, Sept. 13, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Allison Hill, Harrisburg

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