A prime performance
Theatre West looks to the future with ‘Marjorie Prime’
Story & photos by Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
When it comes to predicting the future, we just don’t seem to be batting even close to 1,000. So far, our futuristic movies have incorrectly depicted the good, like cars that fly and interactive holograms, and the bad, like fights to the death over fuel and Tina Turner’s hair.
In “Marjorie Prime,” on stage at Lincoln City’s Theatre West through Saturday, Jan. 29, playwright Jordan Harrison takes a stab at prediction with a play that addresses both our fears of losing loved ones and the hope, that someday soon, artificial intelligence might be able to fill the holes left behind.
Bonnie Ross gives a pitch-perfect performance as 85-year-old Marjorie, a jumble of disparate, fading memories. The handsome new version of her late husband Walter, played by Scott Ganyo, is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her.
The story takes a rich turn when Marjorie’s daughter Tess, played by Robin Kirsch, and son-in-law Jon, played by Sean Prescott, find themselves pulled more deeply into the possibilities that the technology offers.
This richly spare script explores the mysteries of human identity and the limits — if any — of what technology can replace.
Fans of Kirsch, a group in which I count myself, will be swept away by her stirring performance.
In fact, each member of the small cast, under the direction of Danielle Ryan, handles the sometimes challenging material with precision and tenderness.
The play was first produced in 2014, and in 2015, the script was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
In 2017 a film adaption of the play, starring Geena Davis, Jon Hamm, Tim Robbins and Lois Smith, opened at the Cannes Film festival. It received glowing reviews and won the Sloan Feature Film Prize, which includes a $20,000 cash award.
Harrison has written many other prize-winning plays and also writes for TV. He is one of the writers for the hugely popular show, “Orange is the New Black.”
Marjorie Prime asks you to consider: what would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance?
Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays, through Jan. 29, with a Sunday matinée on Jan. 16.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $12 for under 12. All evening shows begin at 7:30 pm, with the matinée at 2 pm. Theatre West is located at 3536 SE Hwy 101.
Masks and proof of COVID vaccination required.
During the run of the play, Theatre West is holding a food drive, accepting non-perishable foods or checks made payable to Lincoln City Food Pantry will be accepted.
For more information, go to theatrewest.com. For reservations, call 541-994-5663.