Marjorie Prime was commissioned by Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director; Carol Fishman, General Manager) in association with the Theater Masters Visionary Playwright Award, and with additional funds provided by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Commissioning Program, and the Kathryn and Gilbert Miller Commissioning Program. It was developed with the support of the Clubbed Thumb Writers’ Group, the Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Repertory, and the Roe Green Award at Cleveland Play House. It was inspired by attendance at The Aspen Institute Ideas Festival.

Marjorie Prime had its world premiere at Mark Taper Forum/Center Theatre Group (Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director; Edward L. Rada, Managing Director; Douglas C. Baker, Producing Director) in Los Angeles on September 21, 2014. The production was directed by Les Waters. The scenic was design by Mimi Lien, the costume design was by Ilona Somogyi, the lighting design was by Lap Chi Chu, and the sound design was by Adam Phalen; the production stage manager was David S. Franklin, the dramaturg was Joy Meads, and the assistant director was Beth Lopes. The cast was as follows:

Marjorie Prime had its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons on November 20, 2015. It was directed by Anne Kauffman. The scenic design was by Laura Jellinek, the costume design was by Jessica Pabst, the lighting design was by Ben Stanton, and the sound design was by Daniel Kluger; the production stage manager was Vanessa Coakley, and the directing resident was Lauren Z. Adleman. The cast was as follows:

Characters

CHARACTERS

NOTE

A slash “ / ” indicates overlapping dialogue. Periods are sometimes omitted in order to suggest a rolling momentum in the dialogue.

Part One

PART ONE

1

Tess and Jon’s living room. On one side of the room, we can see an entryway beyond the open kitchen. On the other side, there is a hallway leading off to the unseen bedrooms.

Marjorie, eighty-five, sits in a recliner. (The lumpy chair doesn’t go with the rest of the decor—clearly it’s been added for her comfort.) Marjorie’s visitor, Walter, looks like a young career man from 1998. He seems to be in his early thirties—bright-eyed and handsome in an unspectacular way.

MARJORIE: I feel like I have to perform around you.

WALTER: Well you don’t.

MARJORIE: I know.

WALTER: It’s just me, it’s just Walter.

MARJORIE: Maybe it isn’t bad, if I feel that way. (Beat) I used to entertain a lot.

WALTER: I remember.

MARJORIE: You do?

(He sees the sink.)

WALTER: Marjorie. Where are the dishes?

MARJORIE: The girl did them.

WALTER: She doesn’t come ’til two.

MARJORIE: I did them.

WALTER: You didn’t. Your arthritis.