Marjorie Prime

I first saw "Marjorie Prime" ten years ago at Playwrights Horizon. I thought the show was quite economical and interesting because the allure of AI was in the future. Fast forward to 2025 and AI is here and real. Jordan Harrison's play has now made its way to The Hayes Theater on Broadway and it has a great cast to help his vision with AI, death and longing.

"Marjorie Prime" has the same director as ten years ago (Anne Kaufman), the main star today is June Squibb (it was Lois Smith at Playwrights). Squibb is very effective in her role as Marjorie. She is both comedic and pensive, her delivery most times are precious. Cynthia Nixon too is at the top of her game as a somewhat bitter woman who questions her own mortality as a middle aged woman. Her husband, Jon (Danny Burnstein) is a warms, carrying man who helped Marjorie interact with her dead husband, Walter (Christopher Lowell) via computer.

We learn about about Walter's and Marjorie's life together as information is fed into the prime. The prime learns more and more about Walter as the play goes on and at times the play gives us only little tid bits of warmth and feeling. The writing never hits the cords that it should and that left me wanting more from this show. The direction never pulls at our emotional cords as it should have.

Lee Jellinek's scenic design with a 70's style green colored set has sharp angels, the sharpness may well signify the cut and dry life of all four characters. Trapped in what could have beens, Jon seems like the only one content of the four. Happy in his marriage, his life, he goes about life wanting to help, to fit in with the family.

Ben Stanton's lighting was without question the most interesting part of the evening. He captures the many moods that this show has. He is deft in the way he spreads the field when needed under the mostly romantic lighting. Ms De La Rosa's costumes are well done especially on Nixon's character. Tess is a woman of means, her style is always eye catching every-time she steps on stage.

"Marjorie Prime" is not a show for everyone, the subject matter may not please the passive theater goer. The plot is not an ordinary one and the occasional audience member may just not be interested in its writing. After all it is a play where and 85 year old woman speaks to her dead husband!

For the most part "Marjorie Prime" was well received by critics and audiences alike. Apart from a very good cast I thought the play was slow and uninspiring. The writing never went deep enough for me. It could have been more gut retching, more insightful and the characters could have given us more insight into there lives. We don't know what Jon and Tess do for a living for instance (not sure we knew what Walter did either).

"Marjorie Prime" is emblematic of of the Fall 2025 season, very up and down shows and many that don't go deep enough nor do they give us anything that we yearn for. It has been a very confusing season and with only one show left, "Bug", this season will be one to forget.

"Marjorie Prime" is a show that you will either really love or really dislike. Even the strong cast cannot keep this slow paced show afloat. The writing needs to go deeper; it needs to get more emotional, and it needs to explain the characters more.

#Broadway Bob, Cynthia Nixon, "Marjorie Prime", Broadway, Tony Awards, June Squibb, Alladin, The Lion King, Harry Potter.