THE (CURIOUS CASE OF THE) WATSON INTELLIGENCE

January 21 – February 7, 2016

by Madeleine George

Springs Ensemble Theatre (“SET”) opens our seventh season with Madeleine George’s The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence.

A finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and winner of the 2014 John Gassner award, Madeleine George’s The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence brings Watson, our favorite sidekick, to the forefront as he struggles to become the protagonist of his own story. Moving through time, The Watson Intelligence explores Watson through several different iterations. We meet the classical Dr. John Watson of Sherlock Holmes fame, the tireless engineering assistant Thomas A. Watson of Alexander Graham Bell, the contemporary Joshua Watson of the Dweeb Team’, and WATSON, IBM’s supercomputer that became Jeopardy! champ. These four Watson incarnations merge while sorting through mystery, romance, intimacy, and technology – revealing that the real heroes are often unsung.

SET’s production, directed by SET member Sarah S. Shaver, features performances by guest artist Jack Williamson as the oft-overlooked Watson, newest SET ensemble member Holly Haverkorn as Eliza (who moves through time as a Victorian wife to a contemporary artificial intelligence engineer) and SET ensemble member Jonathan Margheim as Merrick (who antagonizes Watson at every turn, from Victorian villain to a modern-day politician). Supported by a whole host of “Watsons,” – stage runners, designers, operators – SET is proud to produce The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence as an homage to the people who make magic happen.