Arena Stage Announces Cast And Creative Team For New Thriller DATA

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has announced the cast and creative team for Data, an intriguingly suspenseful new play designed to take audiences behind the locked doors of Silicon Valley.

Written by Matthew Libby (Northern Stage's Sisters) and directed by Margot Bordelon (Denver Center's The Lehman Trilogy, Arena's POTUS), Data will premiere October 31 - December 15, 2024, in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle. Press Night will be held on Thursday, November 7 at 8 p.m. For information and tickets, please visit arenastage.org/data.

Data follows Maneesh, an entry-level programmer at Athena Technologies. Content with working in the low-stress environment of User Experience, Maneesh faces a crisis of conscience when he is transferred to the central Data Analytics team and learns the true nature of Athena's highly controversial and secretive work. Torn between idealism and survival, Maneesh is forced to come to terms with his unique American identity while learning the lengths to which Athena is willing to go to hide its gruesome secrets.

“I am beyond thrilled to be collaborating with this dream team to bring the world premiere of Data to Arena Stage,” said Libby. “This play was born out of my experience coming of age in Silicon Valley, torn between the tech industry's glamour and its power, — a tension that, as the past several decades have proven, creates the world we live in for better or worse.”

“Matthew Libby's sharp political thriller brings a fresh take on the role humanity plays within our digital landscape that is prime for this vibrant, diverse political city,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. “The first time I read this script, I couldn't put it down, and I cannot wait for DC audiences to be swept up in the tides and tensions of the inexorable expansion of Artificial Intelligence along with us.” 

“I wanted to take audiences behind the curtain of these mysterious, monolithic companies specifically through the eyes of the young people — the peons, fresh out of college, at the bottom of the food chain,” continued Libby. “What does it mean to have a quarter-life crisis within an industry that is itself having a quarter-life crisis? How do you learn the responsibility of an individual within a corrupt system? What do we lose when we reduce people to their data points? I'm so excited to bring these questions to DC audiences alongside such an incredible cast, director, and design team — as well as bring a question that is, of course, equally important: How much live ping pong can one play have?”

Making their Arena Stage debuts with Data, the star-studded cast of this fast-paced drama includes Karan Brar (Disney's Jessie) in his theatrical debut as Maneesh, Stephen Cefalu, Jr. (Broadway's To Kill A Mockingbird) as Jonah, Isabel Van Natta (The Huntington's John Proctor Is The Villain) as Riley, and Rob Yang (HBO's Succession) as Wang Tao (Alex).

Joining Bordelon, the creative team for Data includes set designer Marsha Ginsberg (Shakespeare Theatre Company's Lehman Trilogy), Costume Designer Beth Goldenberg (New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Juilliard's The Mother of Us All), lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker (Broadway's Prayer for the French Republic), sound designer Mikaal Sulaiman (Broadway's Fat Ham), composer Dan Kluger (Broadway's Oklahoma!), stage manager Elisa Guthertz (Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Mother Road, Arena's Sanctuary City), and assistant stage manager Lauren Pekel (Studio Theatre's Fun Home). New York casting is by Taylor Williams Casting. DC casting is by Raiyon Hunter.

About the Cast

Karan Brar (Maneesh) is a first-generation Indian American actor. Karan has starred in major film and television productions such as Disney's hit show Jessie and its spinoff Bunk'd, Netflix and Adam Sandler's Hubie Halloween, Legendary Entertainment/Universal Pictures Pacific Rim: Uprising, Twentieth Century Fox's Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise, and the Sony/ PlayStation video game Concord. Karan has also worked behind the camera as a director. Data is Karan's theatrical debut. When he is not acting or directing, Karan serves as an advisory board member to The Cameron Boyce Foundation. He currently resides in New York City and is represented by Paradigm. Instagram: @karanbrar

Stephen Cefalu, Jr. (Jonah) is making his Arena Stage debut! Recent Credits: Broadway National Tour of To Kill A Mockingbird; The Cherry Orchard (Goodman Theatre); World Premiere of Mary Page Marlowe (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); End Days (Windy City Playhouse); Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Redtwist Theatre, Jeff Nomination: Best Supporting Actor); The Gradient (St. Louis Rep, Theatre Circle Nomination: Outstanding Supporting Performer); PerkUp PerKup (City Theatre); Scenes from a Court Life, Assassins (Yale Rep.); In A Word, Damsels, Brotherhood (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Slave Play (Original Cast at Yale Drama). TV/film: Shameless, Law and Order: SVU, Evil, This Afternoon. MFA: Yale School of Drama.

Isabel Van Natta (Riley) is thrilled to be making her Arena Stage debut. She is an actor of Cuban descent and calls Miami home. She has a BFA in Acting from Boston University. Credits: John Proctor Is The Villain (The Huntington), Laure (workshopped at NYTW and The Tank), RX Machina (Boston Playwrights' Theatre), Medusa Reclaimed (Central Square Theatre), and The Nether (Area Stage Company). Awards: Elliot Award Nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Play and Winner for Best Production and Best Ensemble for John Proctor Is The Villain. Isabel is an advocate for mental health. She sends a special thanks to Dad, Mom, Sofia, Leandro, Mya, and her managers Dave Brenner and Sarah Haber at Creative Talent Company. Instagram: @isabelvannatta Website: www.isabelvannatta.com

Rob Yang (Wang Tao (Alex)) most recently wrapped production for Nick Rowland's upcoming feature film She Rides Shotgun in which he stars alongside Taron Egerton. Recent credits include American Rust for Prime Video, starring opposite Jeff Daniels, Rabbit Hole for Paramount+, opposite Kiefer Sutherland, and Searchlight's feature The Menu, opposite Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult, reuniting him with the Succession team of director Mark Mylod and producer Adam McKay. Other credits include the nine-time Emmy Award-winning series Succession as the role of Lawrence Yee for HBO, and numerous other hit shows including Living With Yourself for Netflix, The Resident for FOX, and The Americans for FX. On stage, Rob most recently starred in Catch as Catch Can at Playwrights Horizons.

DATA

By Matthew Libby

Directed by Margot Bordelon

By Special Arrangement with Jeffrey Richards and M/N/P productions

In the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle | October 31 – December 15, 2024

ABOUT: Data is Matthew Libby's intriguingly suspenseful and relevant new play that takes you behind the locked doors of Silicon Valley. Its protagonist is Maneesh, a brilliant entry-level programmer at Athena Technologies, a data-mining firm. Content to work in the low-stress environment of User Experience, Maneesh has a crisis of conscience when he is offered a transfer to the more-central Data Analytics team, and learns the true nature of Athena's highly controversial and secretive work. Torn between idealism and survival, Maneesh is forced to come to terms with his unique American identity, all while learning the extent to which Athena is willing to go to hide its secrets.

Cast:

Maneesh: Karan Brar*

Jonah: Stephen Cefalu, Jr.*

Riley/As Cast: Isabel Van Natta*

Wang Tao (Alex)/As Cast: Rob Yang*

Creative:

Playwright: Matthew Libby

Director: Margot Bordelon

Set Designer: Marsha Ginsberg

Costume Designer: Beth Goldenberg

Lighting Designer: Amith Chandrashaker

Sound Designer: Mikaal Sulaiman

Composer: Dan Kluger

New York Casting: Taylor Williams Casting

DC Casting: Raiyon Hunter

Stage Manager: Elisa Guthertz*

Assistant Stage Manager: Lauren Pekel*

*Members of Actors' Equity Association

Ticket prices start at $59 plus applicable fees. Ticket prices and availability are subject to change. Arena Stage's many savings programs include “pay your age” tickets for those aged 35 and under; military, first responder, and educator discounts; student discounts; and “Southwest Nights” for those living and working in the District's Southwest neighborhood. To learn more, visit arenastage.org/savingsprograms.

Tickets are available at arenastage.org. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 202-488-3300, or in person through the Sales Office at 1101 Sixth Street, SW, D.C., Tuesday-Sunday, 12-8 p.m.

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