The Antiquities at Goodman Theatre is a panorama of human invention and storytelling beginning in the 19th century and continuing into the 23rd century, when humans may be .extinct. These scenes from the future, designed to light up the present, make up the new play by Jordan Harrison (Marjorie Prime). Its full title is A Tour of the Permanent Collection in the Museum of Late Human Antiquities or, just The Antiquities.
Nine actors perform more than 50 roles in scenes set during 15 time periods. The play, directed by David Cromer and Caitlin Sullivan, is a coproduction with Playwrights Horizons and Vineyard Theatre. The genius of the direction is amazing with 20 short plays to be designed and directed to tell a centuries-long story.
Despite the genius of the writing and direction, some audience members may dislike this play, find it hard to follow or connect with, since many scenes are quite brief. We don't have a chance to become acquainted with any characters, as we do in a play based on a more traditional story-line.
The play opens with two women in 19th century dress, one pregnant, who welcome us. “Fasten your seatbelts. Look alive,” one advises. And then one says, “Imagine we’re actually here in these seats in this room in the Late Human age.” Our tipoff of what’s to come.
The next scene, set in 1818, is around a fire where several men and women chat; one man proposes a competition where each must tell a ghost story. That scene is bookended 90 minutes later as we revisit the 1818 campfire where Mary Shelley begins to tell her story of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his construction of a Creature.
In between, we visit scenes set in Silicon Valley in late 20th century America, where a tech inventor is celebrating his success In creating a robot that learns how to solve a problem. It’s all done by ones and zeroes, he tells the bartender. From there, we move on through the decades to a group therapy session In 2000, and a teen teaching a grandfather to use a new internet-connected phone in 2008. Artificial intelligence is the theme in two scenes. By 2076, few humans are left but one predicts thst eventually humans will rise again. In 2240, a rustic scene, a young man and woman discuss whether they should fuck to save the human race.
In an interlude, we visit a reliquary, where 11 pieces of human technology, starting with fire, demonstrate how humans lived in a past society.
The scenes vary in length and in the amount of humanity that’s expressed. In a 1987 scene, a mother soothes her young son who knows his uncle is going to die; he’s just seen him wasting away from disease.
The actors (and one child actor) who move from era to era to invent all these roles are Marchánt Davis, Layan Elwazani, Andrew Garman, Helen Joo Lee, Thomas Murphy Molony (the Boy), Aria Shahghasemi, Kristen Sieh, Ryan Spahn and Amelia Workman.
Scenic design is based on an original design by Paul Steinberg. Lighting design is by Tyler Micoleau and sound design by Christoher Darbassie. Brenda Abbandandolo designed costumes and wig and hair design is by Lea Loukas. Patrick Fries is production stage manager.
Jordan Harrison was writer-producer for three seasons of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. He has written a dozen other plays, including Maple and Ash and The Grownups, and won many awards. His 2014 play Marjorie Prime also was a 2017 film.
The Antiquities continues at Goodman’s Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., through June 1. Running time is 95 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $33 to $73. Recommended for ages 14+.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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