The Machine – Location, Tickets, Reviews
The Machine is a multimedia, theatrical spectacle that dramatizes the 1997 man versus machine chess competition between Gary Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue computer. Written by Matt Charman and helmed by Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Josie Rourke, it is staged in the round at New York’s vast Park Avenue Armory.
Dominating the stage are four large screens that live-broadcast the chess action, just as you might see at an NBA basketball game. The chess action is high-stylized with choreographed movement and dramatic lighting and music adding flare to what one might assume would be a rather static event. Two commentators describe the matches so being a chess expert isn’t required to enjoy the show or understand moments of competitive tension.
Interspersed throughout the matches are flashbacks that give context to Kasparov and the team that built Deep Blue. Kasparov is played by Hadley Fraser, a fan favorite amongst the musical theater crowd. He does not sing in this production but he does sport an impressive Russian accent. Although the performances are strong across the cast, the design and audio-visual effects dominate this play.
Recommended if . . .
- You like chess,
- You like plays about competition,
- You like plays with high production values,
- You like Hadley Fraser,
- You like Gary Kasparov,
- You like the Donmar Warehouse,
- You like philosophical questions about man v. machine, or
- You are eager for or fear the moment of singularity.
LOCATION
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Ave, New York City
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RUNNING TIME
1 hour 40 minutes, no intermission
TICKETS
$45-$90 (click for tickets)
DATES
September 4–18, 2013
REVIEWS
AndrewAndrew
Video Review
Entertainment Weekly
The savvy opening move of The Machine, a tautly entertaining and superbly acted new play by Matt Charman (playing through Sept. 18 at Park Avenue Armory), is to reconfigure the central battle entirely, turning man-vs-machine into man-vs-men-who-created-machine.
The Gothamist
Watch A Computer Battle A Chess Master At The Massive Park Avenue Armory
The New York Times
Analyzing the Moves of a King
Garry Kasparov Faces Deep Blue in ‘The Machine’
Playbill
Man vs. The Machine in Chess Duel at Park Avenue Armory
Time Out New York
No amount of window dressing can hide the fact that Charman’s script places research above imagination.
Village Voice
Despite its title, The Machine isn’t really about Deep Blue, the supercomputer that famously beat chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov in 1997.
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Matt Charman
Directed by Josie Rourke
Featuring Hadley Fraser, Francesca Annis, Lorenzo Allchurch, Antonia Bernath, Cornelius Booth, Nicholas Croucher, Daniel Harries, Kenneth Lee, Rob Lines, David Mumeni, Phil Nichol, John Ramm, Lucille Sharp, Brian Sills, Trevor White