Julio Torres has been known to color outside the lines — and he continues to do so in his new HBO comedy special, “Color Theories.”
The comedian’s latest project began as an Off-Broadway stage show in September, where it was taped amid its two extensions. He defines the finished product as “a comedy special that is also an explanation on theories on how to use colors to understand the world and each other.”
“I’ve always been pretty visual and very intentional about color. I loved drawing,” Torres told TheWrap ahead of Friday’s premiere. “But more than colors specifically, just being into explaining things through metaphor or finding new ways of illustrating things. I think colors present themselves as fun concepts to explore, tools to use.”
You may recognize Torres from his 2023 film “Problemista” or his prior HBO collaborations “Fantasmas,” “Los Espookys” and “My Favorite Shapes,” but he’s also famous for his writing work on four seasons of “Saturday Night Live” from 2016 to 2019.
“It was actually in promoting ‘Problemista’ and ‘Fantasmas’ when I was doing a lot of stand-up that I realized I was talking about colors a lot. I wove those together into what became this special,” he recalled. “Also, during 2020, being at home and thinking of what funny things I could do on my phone, impressions of colors became something that tickled me, so I started translating that into a live performance.”
“There are things that you can do in a filmed medium that are different from a live experience. An observation I keep getting is that the closeness to my face makes it feel different, the way you can guide the eye in film to realize different things and be more precise. You’re a lot closer,” Torres further noted. “I think the intention is definitely green [for both].”
The comedian also questioned another colorful phenomenon — “I wonder if we all have synesthesia” — while sharing his approach to absurdist humor.
“Sometime I do wonder if I am presenting something that is hard to understand, but I never think it’s the audiences fault. Maybe I haven’t found the wording that is accessible to make my point come across,” he said. “But if I believe that I have arrived at something that to me makes sense, then I don’t really worry about who does or doesn’t get it.”
“In his second HBO comedy special, Peabody winner Julio Torres presents a helpful guide to understanding the world through his playful interpretations of colors,” per the logline. “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, this unique comedy special invites us to see the people, places and things around us through Julio’s kaleidoscopic lens.”
So where does he stand with the colors today? “I think instead of dismissing navy blue as something I don’t like, I now feel compelled to understand it and unpack it and analyze it.”
“Color Theories” airs Friday at 8 p.m. PT on HBO while streaming on HBO Max.
