Tony Winner Ari’el Stachel to Debut Solo Show Out of Character at Berkeley Rep

Berkeley Repertory Theatre will close out its 2022-23 season with the world premiere of Tony winner Ari’el Stachel’s new solo show Out of Character. Performances will run at Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre June 23-July 30, with an official June 28 opening.

Former Berkeley Rep artistic director Tony Taccone will direct the autobiographical solo show, which is described as follows: “Before he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for The Band’s Visit, Ari’el Stachel grew up in Berkeley, an Israeli American of Yemeni Jewish descent. Then came 9/11. Desperate to avoid taunts and threats at school, Ari hid his Middle Eastern background – setting off a years-long journey of trying on different identities, code switching, and navigating debilitating anxiety.”

Written by Stachel and directed by Taccone, the creative team for Out of Character includes Afsoon Pajoufar (scenic design), Maggi Yule (costume design), Alexander V. Nichols (lighting design and projections), and Madeleine Oldham (sound design).