John Leguizamo's parents knew the 'American dream hustle.' That informed his new play
NPRJohn Leguizamo's parents knew the 'American dream hustle.' That informed his new play toggle caption Tony Powell/Arena Stage Actor and playwright John Leguizamo has built a career out of transforming himself into characters modeled after Latino Americans he's known: a slick playboy, a nerdy hip hop dancer, a trans prostitute, his own mother and father, his deaf gay uncle, his kids and energetic younger self. His new play, The Other Americans, is now premiering at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. For three decades, Leguizamo has been drawing attention to the Latino experience in the U.S., starting with 1991’s Mambo Mouth, which The New York Times called a “brutally funny one-man show.” In 2018, he won a special Tony Award for his one-man show, Latin History for Morons. I learned how to use my mouth to defend myself because I wasn't as good a fighter.” Leguizamo is frustrated that Latinos are still underrepresented in theater even though the U.S. population is almost 20% Latino, according to the U.S. Census “The beauty of theater and plays is that, for generations given white people, especially the average Joe and Jane, a sense that their lives have value and meaning.
Discover Related
