Key figures: La Media Docena, comedians
La Media Docena is the most popular Costa Rican comedy group for 28 years. It was founded by Mario Chacón, Daniel Moreno and Edgar Murillo. Erik Hernández initially joined as a musician in 1999.
When La Media Docena was not yet La Media Docena
It all started like most legendary bands: out of a high school friendship. Daniel, Erik and Mario were high school classmates. Edgar Murillo, now a former member of the group, was also in the same school. Big fans of “Les Luthiers” and “Monty Python” and Saturday Night Live started doing sketches at school. After a first presentation in 1991, they started a stage of performances in bars. Then, they performed in theaters where the success was such that they ended up performing at the Melico Salazar Theater, which they managed to fill at least once a year for 17 years. In 2005, Teletica asked them to do a pilot and since then La Media Docena has been on national television until today. Their most popular and most important success was when they filmed the movie “Maikol Yordan de viaje perdido”, directed by Miguel Gómez in 2014. “With this first feature film, the Media Docena harvested the fruit of all the previous years where we had acquired great popularity with the Tico public, which already knew the most iconic characters of our sketches”, says Daniel Moreno. The film became the highest grossing film of all time in Costa Rica and Central America. It was followed by “Maikol Yordan 2” and “Mi papá es un santa”.
What is the reason for the success of La Media Docena?
“La Media Docena innovated in its time with a timeless and “intelligent” type of humor, where comic situations are sought and aimed at a family audience”, says Mario Chacón. In fact, the inspiration for the Media Docena were the great groups such as the English “Monthy Python” or the Argentinean “Les Luthiers”, known worldwide for a type of fine humor that avoids easy laughter. At that time, no one in Costa Rica was doing that kind of comedy. And although that scared some people at the beginning, the Costa Rican public quickly adopted this new type of humor. On the other hand, the fact that they have been able to adapt to different times and that they have been able to diversify, pleasing different audiences, added to the fact that there is great loyalty among the members, has made the group one of the longest-lived, says Erik Hernández.
Looking to the future
Currently, still with Teletica, the group has two television series: “Juntos y Revueltos” and “Maikol Yordan la serie”.
The members of La Media Docena now face the challenge of entering new broadcasting channels such as streaming platforms and other digital media.
Author: Marian Li in collaboration with la Media Docena
Sources
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