By Matthew Wexler
If there’s anyone who knows the highs and lows of Latin life in America, it’s John Leguizamo. From his early stand-up career to breakout film roles and award-winning solo shows, the Colombian-born creative has often leveraged humor to highlight social disparities while also celebrating the rich history of his heritage. Now Leguizamo takes on the classic family drama as both playwright and actor in The Other Americans.
Leguizamo’s Nelson Castro is the central figure in this dismantling of the American Dream. It’s 1998, and Castro has moved his family from “ghetto ass Jackson Heights,” Queens, to middle-class (and primarily white) Forest Hills. He schemes to keep his inherited laundromat business afloat while preparing for the return of his son, Nick (Trey Santiago-Hudson). The 20-year-old has just been discharged from a mental health facility after experiencing severe bouts of PTSD, the result of a racially motivated attack in the new neighborhood.
Everyone in the family has an opinion on how to make things right. Nelson’s wife (Luna Lauren Velez) wants to move back to Jackson Heights. His half-sister (Rosa Evangelina Arredondo), meanwhile, has no interest in funding his latest business venture, implying a long history of failed deals. Nick’s sister (Rebecca Jiminez) wants nothing but the best for her little brother, short of having him follow her and her fiancé to Los Angeles to start independent lives.
MORE REVIEWS
• Can Neil Patrick Harris & co-stars justify this white canvas comedy?
• Sia’s new musical ‘Saturday Church’ has the voice, but needs more than faith to soar
As an actor, Leguizamo harnesses his signature charm and social commentary, but as a playwright, The Other Americans drowns in its own exposition. Rarely does the family—both literally and figuratively— escape the mire of its circumstances. Velez, as Castro’s wife, is saddled with cumbersome stage business amid Arnulfo Maldonado’s over-packed scenic design, which obstructs one of the play’s most climactic and traumatic moments. The aftermath, with echoes of playwrights August Wilson and Arthur Miller, feels like it wants to be more substantial than it ultimately lands.
Director Ruben Santiago-Hudson makes the most of the play’s premise and its unique take on how capitalism can capsize a family. But Leguizamo’s script, rich with bilingual language and cultural specificity, feels too aware of its own dramatic mechanisms to achieve the emotional authenticity it seeks.
Fast facts: ‘The Other Americans’ at The Public Theater
- The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, New York City
- Running time: Approximately two hours and 15 minutes with one intermission
- EXTENDED: Performances through November 9, 2025.
It wants better content.
