Marjorie Prime
Closed 1h 40m
Marjorie Prime
80

Marjorie Prime NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%
(63 Ratings)
Positive
86%
Mixed
11%
Negative
3%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Intelligent, Clever

About the Show

Playwrights Horizons presents a story about a family coping with the loss of a loved one through the use of a "prime:" an exact replica of the deceased who can learn to interact in human-like ways.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (63)

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71 Reviews | 12 Followers
100
Absorbing, Clever, Exquisite, Masterful, Profound

See it if You like contemplating age and memory

Don't see it if You dislike shows involving loss

95 Reviews | 28 Followers
95
Ambitious, Exquisite, Great acting, Great writing, Profound

See it if you want an elegant, rich, and haunting heartbreaker of a play, with stunning observations about the way we connect to those we love

Don't see it if you're looking for something lighter and less ruminative

156 Reviews | 62 Followers
94
Absorbing, Great acting, Edgy

See it if You enjoy a prophetic and provocative drama about memory and family. Lois Smith is magnificent. Deserved a Pulitzer last year.

Don't see it if You want your plays to be comedys. The reviews run the plot so don't read them.

470 Reviews | 113 Followers
93
Absorbing, Edgy, Great acting, Original

See it if You love Lois Smith, sci-fi and great acting. You want to be touched at frank discussions of death.

Don't see it if You don't like sci-fi and don't want to suspend disbelief.

509 Reviews | 336 Followers
91
Absorbing, Ambitious, Great acting, Intelligent, Intense

See it if incredible acting and a sci fi storyline

Don't see it if You don't want to see a somewhat depressing quiet show. But it will make you think. And you won't forget it!

1107 Reviews | 377 Followers
90
Ambitious, Clever, Profound, Thought-provoking, Relevant

See it if you can. A powerful exam of identity and memory. What makes us ourselves? And what will happen with AI? Well acted, skillfully written.

Don't see it if you dislike sci-fi stories. MP takes place in the near future. I liked it so much I saw it twice. A couple of scenes could have been trimmed

139 Reviews | 36 Followers
90
Absorbing, Great acting, Great writing, Intelligent, Relevant

See it if you love Lois Smith (and you should) and like plays that dig down deep.

Don't see it if you want light-hearted comedy and shallow characters.

260 Reviews | 62 Followers
90
Fun, Clever, Entertaining, Great lead actress

See it if 1) You want to see Lois Smith in yet another TOP NOTCH performance 2) You enjoy a little sci-fi with your examination of aging and loss

Don't see it if you are dealing with a recent loss & want space

Critic Reviews (28)

The New York Times
December 14th, 2015

"Impeccably directed by Anne Kauffman, with acting to match by a cast of four, this production keeps developing in your head...It initially has the look and feel of a featherweight work — of a cool, low-key domestic comedy of ideas, built on a single ingenious gimmick. But at some point, you realize that it’s been landing skillfully targeted punch after punch, right where it hurts."
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Time Out New York
December 14th, 2015

"An intriguing scenario but mainly an elegant study of memory as both escape and prison...The structural trick of Harrison’s play (not to give too much away) is the slow proliferation of Primes, which both palliates and sharpens the tragic chapters of Marjorie and Tess’s past. Time will tell if A.I. ever becomes a reality, but the human parts of Harrison’s smart, lovely play are built to last."
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New York Theatre Guide
December 15th, 2015

"This is a play of ideas and, as such, there is more discourse than there is dramatic action, and characterizations do not run especially deep...Time is intentionally fluid in this work but, under Anne Kauffman’s otherwise thoughtful direction, leaps of many years feel more disjointed than they should be."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
December 14th, 2015

"A startling and profound new drama...It’s true that 'Marjorie Prime' is fundamentally a realistic work, and a brilliant one at that...That in this production they are rendered natural as well, despite the amusing technological frame through which Harrison explores them, is the result of the superior ensemble acting of the cast, under Anne Kauffman’s beautifully balanced direction."
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New York Daily News
December 14th, 2015

"Under the direction of Anne Kauffman, the acting is seamless. And this carefully calibrated 70-minute meditation on morality and memories exerts a gentle but insistent tug. But it doesn’t doesn’t dive deep enough to make a lasting impact."
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Variety
December 14th, 2015

"'Marjorie Prime' envisions a day in the near future when we’ll be able to program robots to serve as humanoid companions for the old, the infirm and the lonely. The play, premiering at Playwrights Horizons with Smith in the cast, is also a sensitive study of family dynamics, which makes it all the more engaging."
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The Hollywood Reporter
December 14th, 2015

"'Marjorie Prime' is sometimes frustratingly slow and schematic; it's the sort of play that is probably more satisfying to ponder over afterward than to watch. But it resonates with deep feeling, philosophical intelligence and empathy not only for its human characters, but also for its artificial ones. Staged in measured, understated fashion by Anne Kauffman, the piece is wonderfully acted by the ensemble."
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Theatermania
December 14th, 2015

"One of the more impressive aspects of 'Marjorie Prime' is how Harrison calls upon spectators to be active viewers. Rather than deal in specifics, he provides context clues for us to piece together the timeline and personal histories ourselves...It works here because the dialogue and performances are so strong, it's like we're viewing these moments firsthand...Thanks to the expert cast and wonderfully sensitive writing, it's a supremely emotional moment."
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