Nehal Joshi, Nancy Robinette, Nikkole Salter, More Cast in Arena Stage's The Motion

Christopher Chen's journey through memory, identity, and the boundaries of belief will be directed by Hana S. Sharif.

April 07, 2026 By Andrew Gans

Nehal Joshi, Nancy Robinette, and Nikkole Salter

Cast and creative team are set for Arena Stage's upcoming production of Obie winner Christopher Chen's The Motion.

The play, which journeys through memory, identity, and the fragile boundaries of belief, will be helmed by Arena Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. Performances are set for May 6–June 14 in the D.C. company's in-the-round Fichandler Stage.

The cast will include Barzin Akhavan (The Kite Runner), Peregrine Teng Heard, Nehal Joshi (The Cottage), Nancy Robinette (Prayer for the French Republic), and Nikkole Salter (The Great Society), along with Eli El and Yesenia Iglesias (Public Charge) as understudies.

In The Motion, a debate between four scholars swiftly spirals into a real-life experiment, where the scientists become the subjects. Stripped of the world they know, they wrestle with profound and unsettling questions about purpose, morality, and what it truly means to be alive.

“I could not be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Hana Sharif and this outstanding cast and creative team to bring this play to life,” shared recent Steinberg Playwrights Award recipient Chen in a statement. “The play is a wild ride that wrestles with big questions, and I am so grateful to be working with collaborators who share its adventurous, provocative spirit.”

“From the first time I read it, I knew The Motion was something special—riveting, emotionally compelling, and unlike anything else in American theatre,” added Sharif. “Chris Chen is a once-in-a-generation playwright whose work pulls down the walls between audience and stage, drawing us into a profound exploration of who we are and how we live together, combining real intelligence with genuine heart and humor.”

Sharif's creative team also includes set designer Tim Mackabee, costume designer Mika Eubanks, and lighting designer Jason Lynch with sound design and original music by Charles Coes and Nathan A. Roberts. The associate director is Alexis Kulani Woodard, and casting is by The Tesley Office's Destiny Lilly and Raiyon Hunter.

The stage manager is Christi B. Spann, and the assistant stage manager is Margaret V. Warner.

Visit visit Arenastage.org/Motion.