Instituto Allende LLP: The History of American Humor with Barbara Kalis
The Instituto Allende’s Lifelong Learning Program presents The History of American Humor, a lively six-hour course taught by longtime San Miguel resident and LLP instructor Barbara Kalis on March 10, 12 and 13 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the LLP classroom at Ancha de San Antonio 22. Priced at 400 pesos, the three-session course traces the evolution of American comedy from Mark Twain and vaudeville through radio, sitcoms, stand-up and political satire, exploring the cultural and social forces that shaped iconic figures such as Lucille Ball, Abbott and Costello, Jack Benny, Carol Burnett and Robin Williams.
Kalis brings a warm, conversational teaching style honed through years of English instruction in the US and Germany, and her broad intellectual curiosity — previously applied to the History of Women, Fairy Tales and Tudor Queens — makes her one of the LLP’s most engaging and versatile instructors. Open to all levels and guaranteed to generate plenty of laughter, this course is an ideal choice for expats and culturally minded visitors who want an entertaining yet genuinely illuminating look at one of America’s most distinctive contributions to world culture.
Organizer
Instituto Allende is a historic art school and cultural center in San Miguel de Allende that also operates as a landmark venue for public and private events. As an organizer, it hosts art fairs, concerts, museum nights, and festivals, and offers its cloistered courtyards, terraces, and house-museum spaces for weddings, receptions, and cultural gatherings, combining colonial architecture, professional event support, and an active artistic community in one setting.
Venue
Instituto Allende is a historic art school and cultural center housed in a 17th‑century former hacienda at Ancha de San Antonio 22, Zona Centro, C.P. 37700, in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, a short walk from the Jardín Principal. With its grand central courtyard framed by stone arches, studios, galleries, and classrooms, the institute offers visual arts degrees, workshops, Spanish courses, and a Lifelong Learning Program, making it a landmark venue where education, heritage, and contemporary creative practice converge in one of Mexico’s most artistic cities.
