Marjorie Prime

What's Marjorie Prime Like?

Overview

Marjorie Prime is a deeply reflective play by Jordan Harrison that examines aging, memory, and the human need for connection in an age of artificial intelligence. It was a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Plot

Set in the near future, the story follows 85-year-old Marjorie, who is beginning to lose her memory. To help her, a high-tech hologram—or “Prime”—version of her deceased husband Walter is introduced, programmed to recall and repeat the memories she cherishes most. As Marjorie interacts with the Prime, she finds comfort, while her daughter Tess and son-in-law Jon wrestle with the emotional and ethical implications.

Themes

Marjorie Prime explores how we remember, how we grieve, and how we reconstruct our identities over time. It questions the authenticity of memory and the morality of using artificial intelligence to preserve loved ones. The result is a haunting yet tender meditation on love, technology, and what it means to be human.

Is Marjorie Prime Good for Kids?

Marjorie Prime is generally not recommended for children. The play delves into complex and mature themes such as dementia, grief, memory loss, and suicide, which may be distressing or difficult for younger audiences to process. Several productions have advised that the content is appropriate for audiences aged 14 or 15 and older.

Marjorie Prime on Broadway Background