Read our review of Other off Broadway, an autobiographical solo show written and performed by Tony Award winner Ari’el Stachel at the Greenwich House Theater.
“By the night I won my Tony Award,” Ari’el Stachel says, “I couldn’t get through a single night without flop sweating.” The evidence is on his face: sweat pours down onto his clothes and the floor below. But where Stachel’s anxiety sweating has been a hamper to him as a professional actor, here it is a testament to the truth of his autobiographical one-man show, Other.
Growing up as an Arabic Jew in the early 2000s, Stachel notes that the first brown faces he ever saw on television were in the days after 9/11. He spent a good part of the rest of his life denying his own Middle Eastern heritage. And he had a lot of help from his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which he named Meredith, after the “evil stepmom” in The Parent Trap, at age 6.
His personal struggle to define his identity is just as heartbreaking as it can be frustrating to watch. Stachel articulates this later in the show through the words of his best friend Aziz, whom Stachel once called with the revelation that he’s allowed to feel like an American. Replied Aziz: “You’re just now arriving here?” As Stachel illustrates, he was going in circles — did his identity crisis cause his anxiety, or did his anxiety cause his identity crisis?
The final third of the show is not as strong as the first two; as Stachel’s story meets up with the present day, and his shifting emotions and states of mind aren’t so easily portrayed with the cathartic clarity of his childhood and early acting years. But his closing remarks about his renewed relationship with Meredith — much healthier thanks to an earnest investment in therapy — leave audiences with a sense of hopefulness.
Other summary
Ari’el Stachel, best known for his Tony Award-winning performance in The Band’s Visit on Broadway, returns to the stage with his autobiographical one-man show Other. Going as far back as his diagnosis with obsessive compulsive disorder at age 6, Stachel takes us through his crippling anxiety and his experience as a boy of Middle Eastern descent in a prejudiced post-9/11 culture through to adulthood. From childhood to adolescence to his college years and his life as an actor yearning for meaningful roles, Stachel illustrates the way these two essential parts of his life experience have impacted his choices.
What to expect at Other
Other may be a one-man show, but there are two stars: Stachel himself and Meredith. When Stachel isn’t doing a spot-on “Elaine Hendrix in The Parent Trap” impression of his anxiety talking to him, the evidence of Meredith is there for all to see in real time. One of the most inconvenient symptoms of his anxiety, he explains, is the sweating. He predicts that he’ll “sweat his ass off” during the show, and his prediction holds true.
Stachel’s character work is largely impressive, and it’s particularly evocative when he embodies his father; Stachel describes their relationship lovingly amid the shadow of his childhood shame. At other times, though Stachel takes liberties with some of his characters that feel jarring, including the use of racial slurs while in character.
What audiences are saying about Other
At the time of publication, Other has a 98% audience approval score, compiled from 11 reviews. Users praise Stachel for his storytelling and compelling character impressions.
“[Ari’el] weaves a story of his search for identity and belonging with his lifelong struggle with anxiety.” – Show-Score user David 5284
“Well written and performed!” – Show-Score user Kristian D
“Ari’el’s performance was incredible and he plays about 30 characters.” – Show-Score user Sarah 324221
Read more audience reviews of Other on Show-Score.
Who should see Other
Fans of solo shows might enjoy Stachel’s charismatic storytelling.
Theatregoers looking for plays that explore cultural identity may be intrigued by Stachel’s unique life experiences.
Anyone looking for an unfiltered depiction of anxiety and mental health struggles will find it in Stachel’s performance.
Learn more about Other off Broadway
Ari’el Stachel’s one-man show is a deeply personal and brutally honest portrayal of anxiety, set against the backdrop of his troubled relationship with identity.
Photo credit: Ari’el Stachel in Other off Broadway. (Photos by Ogata)