Actor and comedian John Leguizamo makes his playwrighting debut at The Public Theater with “The Other Americans”, which may certainly be billed as a new American Tragedy. Although it may draw some similarities to “Death of a Salesman”, featuring a dominant patriarch and the disintegration of the American Dream, the comparison ends there. The head of the Latino family that is the core of the play is Nelson, the owner of a few laundromats in a unsavory section of Queens, New York. Mr. Leguizamo inhabits the role of Nelson, and by no means does he come close to a Willy Loman. The other unfortunate conclusion is that he is also no Arthur Miller. Mr. Leguizamo provides a superficial and predictable script, that provides absolutely no character development. Kudos to the comedian for putting pen to paper in his first effort to write a full-length play, but it seems to turn into a vanity project when he also takes on the leading role and fills it with opportunities to showcase his many talents.

The plot is set in 1998 and follows the Castro family, now living in Forest Hills after moving from Jackson Heights. It was Nelson’s idea to move to the upscale community, chasing the “American Dream”. He runs a few laundromats that he inherited from his father, but they exist in the old unstable neighborhood in the Heights, so they are not productive, causing financial problems. His son Nick (Trey Santiago-Hudson) is returning home from the hospital, where he was being treated for psychological issues that arose after being attacked and beaten by a group of young white men. His older sister Toni (Rebecca Jimenez) went to pick Nick up to bring him home. Family and friends have gathered to have a welcome home party. Nick’s mother Patti (Laura Lauren Velez) has cooked all his favorite foods but soon discovers he has become a vegetarian. That is not the only thing that has changed about Nick that surprises his family. He has returned home a different person. Most disappointed is Nelson, who dreams of his son joining him in the laundromat business, but Nick has his own aspiration of becoming a choreographer and bringing his Jewish girlfriend to New York. Along with other issues, past and present, this recent development provokes the unraveling of the family unit. There are many subplots that expose the dysfunctional family that seem unnecessary and cumbersome. It is predictable that this will not be a fairytale ending where all ends well.

A major flaw in Mr. Leguizamo’s script is that the system did not fail the American Dream, but the machismo attitude, shady business deals and outright denials exhibited by Nelson, shatter any chance of success. The action reveals Latino culture in depth and accurately, but it does not delve deep enough into the socio-economics or racism of the period. The characters are stereotyped, one dimensional and predictable. There is no redemption or resolution. The cast does an admirable job but cannot overcome the pitfalls of the plot or the absence of an emotional connection to the proceedings. Too much dancing, fighting, drinking and foolishness cloud the emotional impact of a family being torn apart by false security.

Director Ruben Santiago-Hudson moves the action along but should have recognized unnecessary scenes that could have been shortened or cut. Scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado is crowded, overdone and busy, seemingly more like a vanity project similar to the role Mr. Leguizamo has penned for himself. Costumes by Kara Harmon are adequate and reflect the period. Lighting is sufficient but does nothing to evoke the mood of each scene. Overall, at this stage of development “The Other Americans” could benefit from some major revisions, but hopefully it will serve as a steppingstone to a new facet of Mr.  Leguizamo’s career.