This clever and captivating drama, written by playwright Jordan Harrison and directed by Sandra Rockman, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2015 and explores what it means to be human, the complicated nature of familial relationships and the moments in life that we might choose to forget, if given the chance.
Rockman was introduced to the play a few summers ago while taking an acting class at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. When asked what she loved most about the play, Rockman responded, “There’s a simplicity and an elegance to the story line and the writing. Oh, and it’s set in the future, but you know, some things never change. By that I mean – us!”
The play is set in 2062, the age of artificial intelligence, but 85-year-old Marjorie, played by Rene Sprattling, is worried that her memory may be fading. That is until the appearance of Walter, played by Brian Arsenault, a mysterious and charming young visitor programmed to help Marjorie uncover the intricacies of her own past. As Walter's true nature is revealed, new levels of complexity emerge, leading to profound questions about the limits of technology and whether memory might be a purely human invention.
Joining Sprattling and Arsenault on stage are Lindsay Dunckel and John Gardiner. Together they all bring a wealth of experience to the evening’s reading. Sprattling, Dunckel and Gardiner are familiar thespians that have acted in several local productions and read for numerous Readers Theatres, and Arsenault, who before retiring to Nevada City, performed on Broadway and in touring companies as both an actor and dancer in plays such as Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific, and Brigadoon, among others.
Marjorie Prime premiered in 2015 at the Mark Taper Forum and had its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons. The New York Times raved “Jordan Harrison’s elegant, thoughtful and quietly unsettling drama… keeps developing in your head, like a photographic negative, long after you have seen it...At some point, you realize that it’s been landing skillfully targeted punch after punch, right where it hurts.” And the Los Angeles Times added that "Marjorie Prime…is primarily concerned with something eternal: the way our humanity is shaped and warped by the mysterious ebbs and flows of memory."
Rockman was introduced to the play a few summers ago while taking an acting class at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. When asked what she loved most about the play, Rockman responded, “There’s a simplicity and an elegance to the story line and the writing. Oh, and it’s set in the future, but you know, some things never change. By that I mean – us!”
The play is set in 2062, the age of artificial intelligence, but 85-year-old Marjorie, played by Rene Sprattling, is worried that her memory may be fading. That is until the appearance of Walter, played by Brian Arsenault, a mysterious and charming young visitor programmed to help Marjorie uncover the intricacies of her own past. As Walter's true nature is revealed, new levels of complexity emerge, leading to profound questions about the limits of technology and whether memory might be a purely human invention.
Joining Sprattling and Arsenault on stage are Lindsay Dunckel and John Gardiner. Together they all bring a wealth of experience to the evening’s reading. Sprattling, Dunckel and Gardiner are familiar thespians that have acted in several local productions and read for numerous Readers Theatres, and Arsenault, who before retiring to Nevada City, performed on Broadway and in touring companies as both an actor and dancer in plays such as Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific, and Brigadoon, among others.
Marjorie Prime premiered in 2015 at the Mark Taper Forum and had its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons. The New York Times raved “Jordan Harrison’s elegant, thoughtful and quietly unsettling drama… keeps developing in your head, like a photographic negative, long after you have seen it...At some point, you realize that it’s been landing skillfully targeted punch after punch, right where it hurts.” And the Los Angeles Times added that "Marjorie Prime…is primarily concerned with something eternal: the way our humanity is shaped and warped by the mysterious ebbs and flows of memory."
Admission to Theater by the Book is FREE, with a suggested donation of $10.
Most audience members make a donation at the door.
Advance tickets are available through the Miners Foundry.
THEATER BY THE BOOK, now in its 6th Season, is our series of informal play readings at the Miners Foundry.
We schedule five or six readings throughout the year and present a wide range of works. An archive of the readings may be found here. The director and actors come together and rehearse for a short time.
There is no scenery, no costumes, and minimal staging. Check us out and expand your theatrical horizons!
We schedule five or six readings throughout the year and present a wide range of works. An archive of the readings may be found here. The director and actors come together and rehearse for a short time.
There is no scenery, no costumes, and minimal staging. Check us out and expand your theatrical horizons!