The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence

The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence is a comedic play by American playwright Madeleine George, following four different characters named Watson: Dr. Watson, Thomas A. Watson, IBM Watson and an original character, an IT worked named Watson. The play premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 2013 and was nominated for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. George also won the 2014 Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for the play.

Plot

The play jumps across time to follow four characters named Watson throughout history: in 1891, Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes' sidekick; in 1931, Thomas A. Watson, engineer to Alexander Graham Bell; in 2011, IBM Watson, a super-computer designed to answer Jeopardy! questions; and also in 2011, an original character, an IT worker named Watson. Throughout history, two characters named Eliza and Merrick appear and interact with each character as the boundary between identity and contribution blur.

Production history

George was inspired to write the play while watching a Jeopardy! episode featuring the IBM Watson as a competitor, remarking on society's dependence on devices and technology. The production premiered at the Judith O. Rubin Theatre at Playwrights Horizons Off-Broadway on November 15, 2013, running through December 29 of that year. The production starred John Ellison Conlee as the four Watsons, Amanda Quaid as Eliza and David Costabile as Merrick, directed by Leigh Silverman.

The production received mixed reviews, with praise for the show's premise, but critiques for the show's third act and resolution. Variety praised the show as "clever," but noted the "concept soon grows thin." The New York Times lauded the play's "dazzler" premise, but opined that it was "intricately conceived but talky." Conversely, Entertainment Weekly praised the production as "thoughtful and ambitious." For the play, George was nominated for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2014 Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for the play.

The show has since been produced regionally across the United States, such as at Stage West Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas and in Chicago at Theatre Wit in 2015, CoHo Theatre in Portland, Oregon in 2017, and Chain Theatre in New York City in 2019.

Cast and characters

Awards and nominations