A play addressing racial issues between the African-American and the Latino cultures, Platanos and Collard Greens, was performed on Saturday at the Illini Union Courtyard Cafe.

"The beauty of this play is that it addresses the complexities of both black and Latino culture," said Eric Lugo, Latino Programs committee co-chair for Illini Union Board. "It shows both groups that we have more in common than we choose to acknowledge, and in some sense, brings us together to appreciate our commonalities."

The play, written by David Lamb, was based on his book, Do Platanos Go Wit' Collard Greens, published in 1997. The plot centers around a love story between a black man and a Latina woman. A central focus of the play was the idea that Latino culture is deeply rooted in African tradition, Lugo said. There is also a tendency for some Latinos to deny this African blood, he said.

Lamb said his inspiration came from growing up in New York City.

"Where I grew up, there was a lot of integration between the black and Puerto Rican communities," he said.

Soon after publishing the book, Lamb wrote the play. It was published this summer and premiered in June in New York City. While the book's setting is a mayor's political campaign, the play's setting is a student government campaign. The adaptations made it much more relatable to a college campus, Lamb said.

William Thornton, senior in LAS and audience member, agreed with the play's pertinence to a college campus.

"It is very relevant when someone comes from a community with mixed ethnicities that faces these issues," Thornton said.

Actress Arela Rivas, who played Nilsa, also said it was very applicable to a college campus.

"When people get to college, they flock to what they see and hang out with people who look like them," she said.

Thornton said some Latinos don't know they have African roots, so that lack of knowledge creates ignorance.

"When you don't know," he said, "you are less likely to work on unity between the two communities."

Audience participation and poetic monologues were part of the play, said Director Alim Akbar. This format involves an innovative type of writing, which Akbar has labeled "poemedy" — a poetic representation of reality.

"This play confronts a lot of issues that aren't mainstream," said actor Doni Comas, who played the role of Pops. "When the Latina woman dislikes Freeman because he is African-American (in the play), she is hating on herself. It's a real eye-opener."

Lamb said the play is both funny and serious.

"It attacks racial stereotypes and exposes them," he said. "It shows that it's not only ignorant people who have these stereotypes but also educated people, and it also shows just how ridiculous these stereotypes are."