Photos: First Look At The Stars of EXCLUSION At Arena Stage

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has released pre-production photos for the world premiere of Exclusion, a wickedly funny Hollywood-set comedy.

Written by acclaimed theater and TV writer Kenneth Lin (Kleptocracy, Warrior Class, Netflix's House of Cards) and directed by Drama Desk nominee Trip Cullman (The Rose Tattoo, Choir Boy, Lobby Hero), Exclusion will run May 5 - June 25, 2023, in the Kreeger Theater. For information and tickets, please visit arenastage.org/exclusion.

Exclusion follows Katie, an award-winning historian, who is thrilled when her best-selling book about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 is optioned for a mini-series by a Hollywood mogul. Her euphoria turns to disillusionment as she finds herself constantly defending its authenticity in the struggle between what's true and what sells.

Exclusion is the tenth addition to Arena's Power Play series. Launched in 2016, this is a 10-year initiative commissioning original works on politics and power, reflecting American diversity and challenges through five cycles and voices-presidential, African American, insider, musical theater, and women's voices. Previous Power Plays include Lawrence Wright's Camp David (2014); John Strand's The Originalist (2015); Jacqueline E. Lawton's Intelligence (2017); Bob Banghart, Georgia Stitt, and John Strand's Snow Child (2018); Mary Kathryn Nagle's Sovereignty (2018); Aaron Posner's JQA (2019); Eduardo Machado's Celia and Fidel (2021); Craig Lucas' Change Agent (2022); and Nathan Alan Davis' The High Ground (2023). The eleventh Power Play, Kia Corthorn's Tempestuous Elements, will premiere in February 2024. Exclusion is also the recipient of a prestigious Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

Returning to Arena Stage is Tony Nam, who previously appeared in Akeelah and the Bee and Change Agent, as Malcolm. Making their Arena debuts with Exclusion are cast members Karoline (Lincoln Center Theater's The Hard Problem) as Katie, Josh Stamberg (Hulu's Fleishman Is in Trouble) as Harry, Michelle Vergara Moore (NBC's La Brea) as Viola, Karen Li (Contemporary American Theater Festival's Babel) as the understudy for Katie and Viola, Jonathan Feuer (Shakespeare Theatre's As You Like It) as the understudy for Harry, and Ryan Dalusung (Everyman Theatre's The Lion in Winter) as the understudy for Malcolm.

The creative team for Exclusion includes Set Designer Arnulfo Maldonado, Costume Designer Sarah Cubbage, Lighting Designer Adam Honoré, Sound Design Sunny Kil, Original Music Composer Hsin-Lei Chen, Wig Designer Anne Nesmith, Fight Director Sordelet Inc., Dramaturg Jocelyn Clarke, Dramaturg Zoë Elizabeth Lillis, Casting Director Joseph Pinzon, New York Casting Kelly Gillespie, CSA, Stage Manager Christi B. Spann, and Assistant Stage Manager Emily Ann Mellon.