Exclusion Reviews

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."

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."

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."

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."