The Patagonia Creative Arts Association will present a staged reading of the play “Marjorie Prime” by Jordon Harrison on February 20 and 21 at 7pm and Feb. 23 at 3pm.
A four-person play first performed in 2014, “Marjorie Prime” begins as a family drama about an elderly widow who interacts with a human-like replica of her late husband Walter to jog her failing memory. Marjorie’s Walter Prime relies on information from her daughter Tess and son-in-law Jon to develop a more complex understanding of his own history. As their interactions deepen, the family begins to develop diverging accounts of their lives, while drawn in to the chance to reconstruct a painful past.
In November 2025 the play was revived on Broadway. According to a recent New York Times review, since it was first produced “the way we take in ‘Marjorie Prime’ has completely changed because the story revolves around the use of artificial intelligence, which is now a reality affecting our daily life. If anything, the show rustles up more questions—and stirs up more trouble—than it did ten years ago because we’re not dealing with hypotheticals anymore.”
The staged reading format for this production has actors with scripts in hand after a shortened rehearsal process, limited staging and movement. Performing a play in this way offers unique challenges to the actors; however, the performers fully act out the playwright’s story, creating an intimate and engaging theatrical experience for the audience, according to Director Gail Cleveland.
The cast includes Rick Jaynes as Walter Prime, Anesa Miller as Tess, Steve Watts as Jon and Eva Wright as Marjorie.
Tickets are $5 at the door of the Tin Shed Theater.