Michael Toppi
Anna Lepine
Bodies of Literature
March 12th 2018
Play Review
Marjorie Prime, written by Jordan Harrison, directed by Lisa Rubin, performed at the Segal Centre , seen on February 26th 2018, was a play worth watching. The play made you think out of the norm, but was well performed by the actors/actresses. Although the play is in the future, this story was not too far-fetched for the audience to get lost in the details. This production of Marjorie Prime initially revolved around the perception of memory and the way it shapes us (for the better or worse).
Memories shape us to be the people who we are today, which is one of main topics this play explores. In this play memories tend to change the way the “primes” react with the “non-primes”. This shows how memories change us and make us who we are. As the play goes on, you start to see the various different ways the actors portray the “primes”. In one scene Margerie is seen alive , yet sick and old, and in the next she is “primed”, but she is not the same person anymore. You notice Margerie’s change in clothing. Although this sounds crazy the older woman is seen in light pastel- like colors moments before she is primed, yet as she becomes “prime” she also seems to have more life. One thing that stood out was Tess’ words when she saw her prime mother. Tess had said: “my mother would never say sweetie” which shows had memories of the past shape the primes to be more “real”, or in the plays case “function” better. Another way this production portrayed this idea is with the lighting. While the play was going on the lighting set the mood of the play at certain moments. The play’s setting changed as the lights change, so as Marjorie became a prime the lighting became colder, as if the play itself lost life. This explains how these primes although are human-like are not,and they do not function unless shaped by one's memory.
The play had many elements that helped explain my thesis, but the lighting and costume design portrayed it the best. The costumes helped distinguish the the humans from the primes, while the lighting showed the life of the play. This play help taught me that memories and events that happen in your life make you the person you are, and the way we interpret them is the person will be shaped to be.
