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Data’ Draws Strong Reviews After Off-Broadway Opening at the Lortel

Critics highlight a tightly wound AI thriller driven by incisive performances with razor-edged design.

Overview

  • Matthew Libby’s 100-minute play opened January 25 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and is scheduled to run through March 29.
  • Reviews describe a moral thriller about a young programmer whose college algorithm becomes the fulcrum of a secretive project at the fictional Athena Technologies.
  • Tyne Rafaeli’s production is praised for taut pacing and high-tech minimalism, with Marsha Ginsberg’s set, Amith Chandrashaker’s lighting, and Daniel Kluger’s sound heightening the suspense.
  • Karan Brar, Sophia Lillis, Brandon Flynn, and Justin H. Min earn consistent commendations, with critics noting sharp, staccato dialogue and mounting tension.
  • One reviewer details a governmental immigration link for the project not widely echoed elsewhere, while others emphasize whistleblowing stakes and fault a filmic structure and noncommittal ending.