John Leguizamo's THE OTHER AMERICANS Extends at The Public
Originally scheduled to close on Sunday, October 12, the production has now extended through Sunday, October 19.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Sep. 04, 2025
The Public Theater will begin previews for the New York premiere of THE OTHER AMERICANS, a new play the American Dream colliding with Latino reality written by Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo and directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, with a Joseph Papp Free Performance on Thursday, September 11. Following the play’s Fall 2024 world premiere at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., THE OTHER AMERICANS officially opens in The Public’s Anspacher Theater on Thursday, September 25. Originally scheduled to close on Sunday, October 12, the production has now extended through Sunday, October 19.
Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo is Nelson Castro, a Colombian-American laundromat owner in Queens grappling with a failing business and buried secrets in his new play THE OTHER AMERICANS. When his son Nick returns from a mental wellness facility after a traumatic incident, Nelson's world unravels. Committed to protecting his family and business, he tackles racial and identity challenges to achieve his dream, proving his success. Nelson must navigate morality's murky waters to salvage his future. Will he emerge victorious, or will his past consume everything he holds dear? Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson directs this gripping tale of resilience.
The complete cast of THE OTHER AMERICANS includes Rosa Evangelina Arredondo (Norma), Kimberli Flores (Understudy), Sarah Nina Hayon (Veronica), Jaime José Hernández (Understudy), Rebecca Jimenez (Toni), John Leguizamo (Nelson), Trey Santiago-Hudson (Nick), Bradley James Tejeda (Eddie), Luna Lauren Velez (Patti), and Juan Francisco Villa (Understudy).
THE OTHER AMERICANS features scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Kara Harmon, lighting design by Jen Schriever, sound design by Justin Ellington, hair and wig design by Anika Seitu, prop management by Natalie Carney, fight direction by Thomas Schall, intimacy coordination by Ann C. James, choreography by Lorna Ventura, dramaturgy by Jack Phillips Moore, and casting by Caparelliotis Casting (David Caparelliotis CSA/Joe Gery). James Latus serves as production stage manager and Ana Muñoz as stage manager.
THE OTHER AMERICANS marks Leguizamo’s return to The Public Theater following Latin History for Morons, his Tony and Lortel Award-nominated hit solo show that premiered at The Public in 2017, moved to Broadway, and was filmed for Netflix. Leguizamo previously appeared at The Public early in his career, performing in La Puta Vida Trilogy and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, both in 1987. Santiago-Hudson has worked as an actor, playwright, and director at The Public and Delacorte Theater for more than 30 years. Santiago-Hudson’s autobiographical play Lackawanna Blues, which he wrote and performed, premiered at The Public, for which he received an Obie Award.
The Public’s 2025-26 Season continues with the Tony Award-nominated writer and director duo Jordan E. Cooper and Stevie Walker-Webb's return to The Public with OH HAPPY DAY!, featuring original music by Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Donald Lawrence for this biting new play about confronting the divine. The Public’s collaboration with Ma-Yi Theater Company continues with the first of two plays in this season’s residency, DID YOU EAT? (밥 먹었니?), featuring playwright and performer Zoë Kim’s autobiographical journey through love’s many forms, directed by Chris Yejin. THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS, Obie Award winner Ethan Lipton’s irreverently funny musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Skin of Our Teeth, makes its world premiere in a production directed by Tony nominee Leigh Silverman. The fall season closes out with INITIATIVE, a world premiere play by Emerging Writers Group alumnus Else Went and directed by Emma Rosa Went, following the intertwined lives of seven teens from 2000-2004 in “Coastal Podunk, California.”
The Library serves food and drink beginning at 6:00 p.m. and closing at midnight. The Library is closed on Mondays and Sundays. For more information, visit publictheater.org.
