Exclusion at Arena Stage

Exclusion

Arena Stage
1101 Sixth Street, SW Washington

A reluctant historian is thrown out of her element when her acclaimed book about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 is optioned by a larger-than-life Hollywood mogul with a track record for making smash-hit TV shows. The professional bleeds into the personal when she finds herself weighing the historical facts against her own awakening ambitions. In a hilarious workplace comedy with teeth, tensions rise and deals are made during an awards ceremony in a twist you won't see coming.

Thru - Jun 25, 2023

Show Type: Comedy

Box Office: 202-488-3300

www.arenastage.com

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Exclusion at Arena Stage in Washington DC

Exclusion Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended

"...In the barbed comedy “Exclusion,” playwright Kenneth Lin at times judiciously complicates this timeworn vision of a philistine Tinseltown. But as seen in the sleek, beautifully acted and often funny Arena Stage world premiere production, directed by Trip Cullman, the tweaks aren’t always enough to make the play’s Hollywood-needling feel fresh. Still, by upending the paradigm here and there, Lin engages our minds and sympathies more fully with the play’s other major theme: the urgency of telling stories that mainstream America has marginalized, and the power struggle that can result by doing that."

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- Celia Wren

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"...Lin’s well-crafted, simultaneously very funny and highly serious, script concerns two related stories. First is the story of pogroms and legislation targeting Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century, which lasted well into the 20th. Second is the story of how that history gets transformed into a commercially successful TV series by today’s entertainment industry."

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- Bob Ashby

Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended

"...What happens when Hollywood decides to tell a little-known story from America's past, but it isn't "dramatic" enough as is to be entertaining? Playwright Kenneth Lin takes on the conflict between show business and what a character calls "show history" in his play Exclusion, now in a world premiere production in the Kreeger Theater at Arena Stage in Washington."

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- Susan Berlin

Washington City Paper - Recommended

"...Despite sometimes being a bit on the nose, these debates are refreshing and timely, particularly at a time when Hollywood executives toy with the idea of AI eliminating the need for writers altogether. How much can an author really own their work? Is it a good thing for marginalized groups to get any airtime they can, even if they must play stereotypes and supporting roles? Is there any value in a made-for-TV version of history?"

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- Stephanie Rudig

MD Theatre Guide - Recommended

"...Although the cast is small, “Exclusion” feels big in ambition and production design. Kenneth Lin’s script engages the clash between selling the truth and selling out while spotlighting the struggles and shortfalls of Asian American representation in film and TV. Although focused on Hollywood, it’s not hard to see how the critiques in “Exclusion” similarly apply to theatre as an industry. Despite a few rough edges, the play’s ample laughs, fast pacing, and polished technical design add up to a successful premiere."

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- Charlotte Selton

Exclusion at Arena Stage

Exclusion

Exclusion Reviews

Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended

Washington City Paper - Recommended

MD Theatre Guide - Recommended

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