El Condominio

El Condominio was a Puerto Rican television show produced by Sunshine Logrono for Televicentro Puerto Rico.

Production details

"El Condominio" came to be as a result of a Tony Mojena produced show, "Los Apartamentos", which first appeared on Puerto Rican television on Telemundo Puerto Rico in 1993. In 1994, "Los Apartamentos" was cancelled, and Logrono signed up the show's actors to produce "El Condominio" for what was then called WAPA-TV. The program's show and basic synopsis remained intact.

The show became an instant hit in Puerto Rican television, often appearing among the most seen shows in Puerto Rico on the Nielsen list of television show ratings.

"El Condominio"s set includes a lobby wall that has the name "Monte Brisas" on it, giving viewers the idea that the locale's name is "Monte Brisas Condominium". "Monte Brisas" is a real life apartment complex in Puerto Rico.

In 2004, controversy arose when Mojena declared that he wanted the show suspended or for Logrono to pay him royalties, alleguing, in a lawsuit, that Logrono stole his creation by implanting the original actors and characters used on "Los Apartamentos" to "El Condominio". A court ruling ordered Logrono to continue on producing the show without paying Mojena royalties until the case is further reviewed. A court decision was expected by June or July of 2005.

The controversy was spread on Puerto Rican media, and the show's actors united by Logrono's side, defending their show as a workshop for Puerto Rican actors at the Luis Francisco Ojeda television show. Among the show's most vocal defensors were two of its main stars, Rene Monclova and Marian Pabon.

On May, 2005, the Puerto Rican court finally reached a verdict, deciding that the show could no longer go on. On June 1, the show's last episode was transmitted.

In mid June, the gossip TV show "SuperXclusivo" reported that the show's actors filed a legal motion to allow the actors to portray their character counterparts from "El Condominio." The details of the motion are not specified and could drag on for some time.

Now, most of the characters familiar with "El Condominio" can now be seen on "Por El Casco de San Juan".

ynopsis

"El Condominio" was owned by a lonely man in his forties. He apparently was a virgin, and had bad luck with women. He inherited the property from his mother (sometimes played by Logrono), an elderly woman who raised her son to be what is known in American slang as a "momma's boy".

Because he had such bad luck with women, the owner befriended his employee "Lolo Bond" (played by Monclova), an alcoholic handyman who had much better luck with women. "Lolo" sometimes felt that his boss may be homosexual without his own knowledge, so he tried to arrange dates for him, and, combined with the owner's virginal behaviour and "Lolo"s suspicions, this often lead to comical situations.

"Lolo"s girlfriend was a widow whose husband only left her debts and an unemployed gay son, León (played by Logroño). His best friend was a Puerto Rican-American hustler Brenda Q (played by Marian Pabon) who lived on the revenues made by a naïve, big busted exotic dancer.

Other characters include a biased plastic surgeon with a nasty attitude, Argüelles; an ignorant security guard prone to gluttony, Vázquez; a Born-Again Christian old lady who owned dozens of stray dogs, Doña Soto, and a whole family on Welfare.

Most of the comical situations that happened in the show revolved around these characters, with some actors making occasional special appearances to contribute to the show's stories.

Cast

Here is a partial list of some of the show's cast members:
*Sunshine Logrono- as "Elpidio," a mentally retarded man/boy; as "Pachango," a nasty and smelly old man with a hernia, and as León.
*Efrain Lopez Neris- "Vázquez", the security guard
*Rene Monclova- "Lolo Bond", the alcoholic handyman
*Marian Pabon- "Brenda Q"
*Jorge Castro- "Segismundo Alberto", the building's administrator
*Albert Rodríguez- "Dr. Sebastián Argüelles"
*Cristina Soler- "Doña Laura Alvarez Viuda de Gumbia", Lolo's Lover
*Suzette Bacó- "Doña Soto", Owner of over a dozen dogs