Lois Smith in Marjorie Prime: History in the Making

In Marjorie Prime, in a not so far away future, humans will have primes, that is, hologram avatars of our deceased loved ones, enabling us to continue to work out the dicey parts of human relationships. This is the hopeful premise of Jordan Harrison’s award winning play Marjorie Prime, on which the movie of Marjorie Prime is based. Scripted by Michael Almeyreda who also directs Lois Smith, the original Marjorie Prime of the play, and an ensemble that includes Jon Hamm, Geena Davis and Tim Robbins, the movie hews close to the universal drama of family histories, how memory shapes and recasts the stories we tell about our intimate past.

In Marjorie Prime, in a not so far away future, humans will have primes, that is, hologram avatars of our deceased loved ones, enabling us to continue to work out the dicey parts of human relationships. This is the hopeful premise of Jordan Harrison’s award winning play Marjorie Prime, on which the movie of Marjorie Prime is based. Scripted by Michael Almeyreda who also directs Lois Smith, the original Marjorie Prime of the play, and an ensemble that includes Jon Hamm, Geena Davis and Tim Robbins, the movie hews close to the universal drama of family histories, how memory shapes and recasts the stories we tell about our intimate past.

At a recent screening and reception at Anassa Taverna, Lois Smith spoke to Annette Insdorf about her career and performance as Marjorie Prime. Now 60 years after she was first cast in East of Eden, Lois Smith will turn 87 next week; already nominated for a Gotham Award for her Prime performance, Smith is alert to the fact that if she wins a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this role—she is a frontrunner-- she will be the oldest to do so. Without skipping a proverbial beat she’s ready, exhorting a lunchtime crowd including Blythe Danner, Celia Weston, and many others, “Let’s make history.”

Regina Weinreich

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura