The Antiquities

Whether it is fascination or fear, humanity has always envisioned something outside the universe that would one day replace us. From the old dystopian 1927 film Metropolis, which cautioned us about the potentially dehumanized society, to I Robot and The Terminator, we have contemplated the end of humanity through technical advancement. Jordan Harrison's The Antiquities, at Theatre Goodman's Owen Theatre, is just another series of attempts to caution men that their transitional futuristic civilization will one day turn to the topic of AI, Artificial Intelligence, regarding what humans were really like.

The play unfolds between 1816 and 2240, which can be seen via the overhead time clock, commencing with a group of mechanical beings engaging in animated discussions about the long-lost civilization of humans. They reason about our technological evolution, the invention of the computer, examining humanity's advancements as it tries to humanize the voice of AI, and the pivotal moment when the dependence on computers transformed into the dawning era of artificial intelligence domination—ultimately leading to humanity's extinction.

There were some memorable scenes, like the startup of your computer using AOL, which most of the audience could relate to, and the time machine reference, a video that showcased the era of humanity and the process from man to machine, was a nice touch. The sexual scenes felt out of place and unnecessary, disrupting the narrative flow and detracting from the overall story. Still, The Antiquities is filled with interesting dialogue that has the potential to draw you into its narrative throughout its 1 hour and 35 minutes with no intermission. Still, there is nothing new under the sun regarding our fears of being replaced — more of a "Been There, Seen That, Done That" storyline that needs more creativity.

The cast, which is listed alphabetically as Marchánt Davis, Layan Elwazani, Andrew Garman, Helen Joo Lee, Thomas Murphy Molony, Aria Shahghasemi, Kristen Sieh, Ryan Spahn, and Amelia Workman, was engaging and provided great chemistry. I'm not sure why we are so infatuated with our demise, but let's not get too worried. The 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), which made the term "robot" widely known, was about artificial workers who eventually rise against their human bosses. In The War of the World, aliens came from outer space to destroy us, or pods replaced us while we slept; in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, aliens came from outer space to destroy us, or pods replaced us while we slept.

Theatre Goodman's play The Antiquities is an interesting sci-fi story about how people feel excited and scared about artificial intelligence taking control while raising important questions about how technology affects our lives. Even the Pope, Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost, has expressed his concerns about AI, which Goodman should heavenly exploit.

⭐⭐⭐

Theatre Goodman

The Antiquities

By Jordan Harrison

Directed by David Cromer and Caitlin Sullivan

May 3 -June 1, 2025

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