Actor John Leguizamo as Nelson in “The Other Americans” at Forest Laundromat. Courtesy of Tony Powell
By Sheila Wickouski
From fairy tales of genies granting three wishes to the circus with three rings, ‘good things come in threes’ is a familiar saying.
This season, Arena Stage presents a triple treat, with three premieres unfolding in a mini theater festival as the holidays approach.
On the Fichandler Stage, in the tradition of great American family dramas, “The Other Americans” premieres October 18 and runs through November 24. Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian, and producer John Leguizamo stars as Nelson Castro, a Colombian-Puerto Rican business owner who faces a collision of crises when his son returns home from a mental wellness facility.
“John Leguizamo has crafted an exquisite story of the hope and cost of manifesting the American Dream,” Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif said in a press release. “We have never seen a family like the Castros on our stage before, and this phenomenal ensemble invites us into the joy, complexity, and humanity of family in the face of tragedy. The Other Americans is a treatise on love.”
In the Kogod Cradle, the world premiere of playwright Matthew Libby’s “Data” (Oct. 31-Dec. 15) goes behind the locked doors of Silicon Valley in a suspenseful and highly relevant new play. Protagonist Maneesh is a brilliant entry-level programmer at Athena Technologies, but the true nature of Athena’s highly controversial and secretive work threatens his idealism, forcing him to come to terms with his unique American identity while learning how far a technology company will go to hide its deepest secrets.
“This play was born out of my experience coming of age in Silicon Valley, torn between the tech industry’s glamor and its power, — a tension that, as the past several decades have proven, creates the world we live in for better or worse,” Libby said in a press release.
In the Kreeger Theater, Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic “Death on the Nile” (Nov. 23-Dec. 29), has Hercule Poirot entangled in a web of deceit and desire aboard a cruise ship on the Nile River. When a murder occurs among the passengers, Poirot springs into action to unmask a killer who could strike again at any moment.
More information and ticket prices are available at arenastage.org.