About the Play:

Finalist for 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence is a full-length drama by Madeleine George. A love triangle between the head, the heart and the machine repeats through the ages in this time-shifting, mind-bending play that uses several historical moments – from the 1800s to the 2010s – to question the way people communicate and connect with the world at large, and the people who are right in front of them.

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence is cleverly constructed play where Watson – four Watsons to be precise – is the connective tissue. From the Victorian age to the 21st century, 'Watson' is the perfect partner. Mr. Watson was loyal engineer on the other end of the wire when Alexander Graham Bell sent the first communication by telephone. Dr. Watson accompanied each step and anticipated every need of fiction's greatest detective. Watson's the name of IBM's natural language-processing supercomputer, winner of the famous Jeopardy! match in 2011. And Josh Watson is the IT guy with a friendly fix for crashed technology and broken hearts, uncommonly trustworthy and aiming to please. These four constant companions become one – weaving through synthetic intimacy, remote connections and artificial intelligence – in this loving tribute and modern cautionary tale, dedicated to the technological advancements that bring people together and tear them apart.

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence premiered in 2013 Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in New York City. Since then, it has received multiple productions at professional theatres throughout the US and has been mounted by colleges and community theatres.

Cast: 1 woman, 2 men

What people say:

"Marvelous and filled with marvels. In the Stoppardian world of The Watson Intelligence, Madeleine George's human, dramatic play takes surprising turn." — New York Magazine

"Thoughtful and ambitious." — Entertainment Weekly

"A time-tripping fantasy finds tender humor in geniuses and their helpers. [Madeleine George] juggles several deep themes with grace, wit and intellectual verve." — Time Out New York

About the Playwright:

Madeleine George is an award-winning playwright and a founding member of the playwriting collective 13P (Thirteen Playwrights). She is also the director of the Bard College satellite campus at Bayview Women's Correctional Facility in Manhattan. She grew up in Western Massachusetts and now lives in Brooklyn.