Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for the world premiere of Sharyn Rothstein’s (By the Water, USA Network’s “Suits”) timely tale about one man’s fierce battle to reclaim his right to privacy. Filled with secrets, lies and political backstabbing, Right to be Forgotten centers around a young man’s mistake that haunts him online a decade later. Desperate for a normal life, he goes to extraordinary lengths to cut himself off from his past. In a time when everyone has their own version of the truth and their own way of spreading it, who decides which truths get buried and which live forever online? Directed by Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko, Right to be Forgotten runs October 11 – November 10, 2019 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

“Sharyn Rothstein has written a complex and profound story that asks how human emotions like love, second chances and forgiveness can co-exist with technology, which is inhuman and inhumane,” shares Sueko. “It’s a thrilling sci-fi of sorts that breaks open the consequence of 25 years of the public web and this “parallel world” we’ve created on the Internet. We looked for actors who are artistically agile with great range and I am so pleased to announce this cast.”

Making their return to Arena Stage, John Austin (Arena’s Kleptocracy) portrays Derril Lark, a young man fighting to erase his past from the Internet, and Guadalupe Campos (Arena’s Native Gardens) plays Eve Selinsky.

Making their Arena Stage debuts are Melody Butiu (Broadway’s Doctor Zhivago) as Marta Lee, Rachel Felstein (Taffety Punk’s Antigonick) as Annie Zahirovic, Shubhangi Kuchibhotla (Constellation Theatre’s White Snake) as Sarita Imari and Edward O’Blenis (Red Bull Theater’s The White Devil) as Alvaro Santos.

“Right to be Forgotten is a play about what happens when our humanity clashes with our technology. The play asks the question: who should control memory on the Internet? It’s a play I wrote because I had more questions than answers, and I hope everyone who sees the show will leave with a different opinion about the characters and their choices,” explains Rothstein. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that the play is having its premiere at Arena Stage, in the heart of where these questions about technology and regulations are being most hotly debated right now.”

In addition to Sueko, the creative team includes Set Designer Paige Hathaway, Costume Designer Ivania Stack, Lighting Designer Adam Honoré, Sound Designer Andre Pluess, Projection Designer Shawn Duan, Dialect and Vocal Coach Zach Campion, Dramaturg Jocelyn Clarke and Stage Manager Kurt Hall.

Post-Show Conversations
Connect with our shows beyond the performance at a post-show conversation with artists and staff on October 29 following the 7:30 p.m. performance, October 30 following the 12 p.m. performance, November 5 following the 12 p.m. performance and November 7 following the 8 p.m. performance.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Right to be Forgotten
Written by Sharyn Rothstein
Directed by Seema Sueko
In the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle | October 11 – November 10, 2019

ABOUT: The Internet never forgets. A young man’s mistake at 17 haunts him online a decade later. Desperate for a normal life, he goes to extraordinary lengths to erase his indiscretion. But freedom of information is big business, and the tech companies aren’t going down without a fight. Secrets, lies and political backstabbing abound in this riveting new drama about one man’s fierce battle to reclaim his right to privacy. Playwright Sharyn Rothstein (By the Water, USA Network’s “Suits”), winner of the prestigious 2015 Primus Prize and whose work has been called “touching & affecting” (New York Times), has written a striking allegory about privacy, social media and human forgiveness in the age of the internet.

PLAN YOUR VISIT
TICKETS: Tickets for Right to be Forgotten are $40-95, subject to change and based on availability, plus applicable fees. For information on savings programs such as pay-your-age tickets, student discounts, Southwest Nights and hero’s discounts, visit arenastage.org/tickets/savings-programs/.

Tickets may be purchased online at arenastage.org by phone at 202-488-3300 or at the Sales Office at 1101 Sixth Street, SW, D.C.

Sales Office/Subscriptions: 202-488-3300
Group Sales Hotline for 10+ Tickets: 202-488-4380
TTY for deaf patrons: 202-484-0247
Info for patrons with disabilities: 202-488-3300

PERFORMANCE DATES:
Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday at 2 p.m.
Weekday matinees at noon on Wednesday, October 30 and Tuesday, November 5

Closed captioning: GalaPro begins Friday, October 18
Open-captioned performance: Thursday, November 7 at 8 p.m.
Audio-described performance: Saturday, November 9 at 2 p.m.
Southwest Night: Tuesday, October 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Full Calendar: arenastage.org/tickets/calendar

ARENA STAGE CAFÉ: Prix fixe meals are available at Richard’s Place, Arena Stage’s casual dining café, and include a choice of soup or salad, main entrée and dessert. Pre-ordered meals are only $22 ($25 if purchased that day). To pre-order and see the menu, call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org/plan-your-visit/richards-place-cafe/prix-fixe. The café opens two hours before the show, and reservations are recommended. To pre-order refreshments, visit arenastage.org/plan-your-visit/richards-place-cafe/concessions.

METRO: Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is only one block from the Waterfront-SEU Metro station (Green Line). When exiting the station, walk west on M Street toward Sixth Street, and the main entrance to the Mead Center is on the right.

PARKING: Parking is available in Arena Stage’s on-site garage. Subscribers may purchase parking in advance for $17. Single ticket buyers may purchase parking in advance for $20 or on the day of the performance for $24 on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited handicapped parking is available by reservation. Advanced parking must be reserved by calling 202-488-3300. The entrance to the Mead Center garage is on Maine Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets, and the garage closes one hour after the day’s last performance ends. Patrons can also park at the Public Parking Garage at 1101 Fourth Street, one block from the Mead Center, for $15.

VALET PARKING: Arena Stage offers valet service at no additional cost to patrons with accessibility needs who call 202-488-3300 in advance to request valet parking. On days when valet parking is being used for accessibility, it is also available to general patrons one hour prior to show time for $25, based on availability. To use valet parking, pull up to the main entrance on Sixth Street.

For complete 2019/20 Season details, visit: arenastage.org/tickets/subscriptions.

Connect with us:
Facebook: facebook.com/arenastage
Twitter: @arenastage
Instagram: Instagram.com/arenastage
YouTube: youtube.com/arenastage1
Website: arenastage.org

About The Author

Dean Rogers

Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter

I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias, to books, to dictionaries, to magazines. I’m also an avid consumer of television, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!

My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.

Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.

As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my life-long journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.

All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.

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