Julio Torres has set a new comedy special titled “Color Theories” at HBO.
A follow-up of sorts to his 2019 HBO special “My Favorite Shapes,” “Color Theories” was taped during the month-long run of his recent off Broadway show of the same name at Performance Space New York. According to a press release for the live show, “Color Theories” sees Torres “blending stand-up, design and dream logic into a whimsical exploration of color, emotion and identity that is equal parts comedy, theater and art piece.” The show began previews on Sept. 3 before its official opening a week later. The run was scheduled to end on Sept. 21, but was extended twice due to high demand, eventually closing on Oct. 10.
Speaking to Variety before the show opened, he said, “I’m using color as a way of explaining things that we’ve all observed before,” he says. “That trope where a director gives an actor a note, like ‘Be more purple, or orange,’ I get that. So this feels like a way of explaining myself.”
“The show is quite purple,” he continued. “It’s about anger within a bureaucratic system. The anger and frustration are red, and the bureaucratic system is blue, so combined, they’re purple.”
“Color Theories” is written and performed by Torres, with additional performances from Ian Edlund, Nick Meyers, Drew Rollins and Joe Rumrill. Christian Palomares and Chris Douglas of Boundary Road Productions serve as co-executive producers.
Besides “Color Theories” and “My Favorite Shapes,” Torres’ previous work at HBO includes creating the series “Fantasmas,” which ran for six episodes in 2024, and “Los Espookys,” which ran for two seasons from 2019 to 2022. The latter was co-created with Fred Armisen and Ana Fabrega. Torres’ other credits include writing and directing the A24 film “Problemista,” which he starred in opposite Tilda Swinton, and “Saturday Night Live,” on which he served as a writer between 2016 and 2021.