The curtain has officially risen on Hole in the Wall Theater’s latest production, Marjorie Prime! We are all so excited to be putting on this show, and we hope everyone gets a chance to see the story of AI and memories lost, remembered, and pushed aside.
With the beginning of this run, we have another interview with the cast of the show. He is no stranger to the Hole in the Wall stage, and we are always happy to have him, You may have seen him in past productions such as The Haunting of Hill House, Much Ado About Nothing, A Doll’s House, The Comedians, and as one-half of the voices that comprised the titular creature in Scavenger. Say hello to Jordan Wassil!
What drew you to audition for this play? What character are you playing, and what is your favorite piece of technology?
Jordan: What drew me out to audition was coming back to Hole in the Wall and knowing that the doors are back open and I’m able to do what I love again. I am playing Walter Prime. My favorite piece of technology is the radio. I spend a lot of time listening to the radio and making music. It’s my thing.
Very early on in the script Marjorie notes that Tess is “the mother now.” When working with an aging parent or adult in your life, how do you work with them to ensure their comfort but that they keep their sense of dignity?
Jordan: It would be important to give them the sense that nothing is wrong, they’re not alone, and to remind them of all of the good times that they had in their lives up until this point. It would also be important to make sure the person doesn’t feel invalid. You want to be a comfort to that person and not a burden.
Some of the roles in this show are not actually human, but Artificial Intelligence. What do you think the benefits to having your own AI in real life would be? The consequences?
Jordan: The benefits of having a prime would be having a sense of normalcy after losing someone. In a sense, everything would be the way it was and you wouldn’t have to deal with a complete sense of heartbreak. Actually though, this would be a con because nothing truly is the same.
Although Marjorie’s memory is failing her, characters in the show are there to help her remember her life. What is one memory that you would want someone to help you remember?
Jordan: I would like someone to help me to remember all of the things that I loved to do in life that brought me joy and how those moments of joy brought me to where I was before I began to lose my memory.
Throughout the play one particularly unpleasant memory for Tess and Marjorie is skirted around. If you lost your memory, would you want your loved ones to do the same and omit unpleasant memories, or would you want to know your memories, for better or worse?
Jordan: I want it all. I want to know my life. Everything that happened to me doesn’t just affect me, but everyone I’ve ever interacted with.
And we want to say thank you to Jordan for talking to us and to breathing life into the AI known as Walter Prime. We hope you can’t wait to see him.
Marjorie Prime, directed by George Sebastian-Coleman and produced by Luis Marrero, will run for two more weekends until September 4th. Don’t miss out on our Pay-What-You-Can Night on September 27th and our matinee on September 29th. Stay safe, and we’ll see you on the stage!