Ari'el Stachel Performs Solo Show at Chutzpah Festival

A Personal, Post-9/11 Story

Stachel, described by the festival as a Tony and Grammy Award winner, wrote and performs this show himself. It traces his lifelong experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the pressure to assimilate, and an identity fracture that began after the September 11 attacks, along with his reflections on living in what the festival calls the post-October 7th world. The festival frames the evening as intensely personal, politically charged, and laced with dark humour rather than a straightforward comedy set.

Two Nights at the Annex

The show runs twice: Monday, November 9, and Tuesday, November 10, 2026, both at 7:30 p.m., in the Annex space at 950 West 41st Avenue. The festival asks that no one arrive late, since latecomers won't be seated once the performance begins. Its own program note also suggests that anyone attending a community Kristallnacht commemoration on November 9 consider the November 10 show instead, a small scheduling courtesy worth knowing if that week is already full for you.

Pricing and the Wider Festival

Tickets are pay-what-you-will at $18, $36, $54 or $72, with the top tier including a meet-and-greet. The evening is part of the broader Chutzpah! Festival, running November 3 to 15, 2026, and festival regulars can buy a ChutzPack bundling four regular-price shows for $136.

This is not an easy date-night show, but it gives couples real material to talk through afterward: identity, belonging, and how much of yourself you perform for other people. Decide ahead which pay-what-you-will tier you're picking, from $18 up to the $72 meet-and-greet option, and plan to be seated before 7:30 p.m. sharp on either night.