By Alan Jozwiak
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has only been available to the American public for about three years (we are coming up on the third year anniversary of ChatGPT availability to the public on November 30). Since that time, there has been intense speculation if the machine will replace human beings–especially in the field of the arts.
This battle is being put to the test in the Clifton Players’ production of Man v. Machine, now at the Liberty Exhibition Hall in Northside. Clifton Players is putting this production up in collaboration with the Southern Theatre Company from Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The premise of this evening of theatre is simple. Two out of the six ten-minute plays are written by AI. The audience has to guess which two.
The Process
Labeling these plays as being written by AI is perhaps a misnomer. Humans did have a hand in the creation of these ten-minute plays. Out of the six authors listed in the program, two of them actually are the AI dramaturgs. These AI dramaturgs gave their AI systems the following parameters: The AI needs to write a play based on the theme of love (in the broadest possible sense), have one setting, contain no more than four characters, and run no more than ten minutes in length.
In talking with Eli Davis, one of the actors and the production’s AI consultant, the AI dramaturg would take the raw play produced by the AI and prompt the AI to produce better jokes, tighten scenes, or generate more pointed dialogue. Based on my own experiences working with AI, human beings need to give an AI system a LOT of pointed content and context questions in order to generate really strong results.
To add to the mystery, only the producers know which plays were written by AI. That means the directors, actors, and audience have no idea which of the two plays are AI, making for a double-blind experience.
Award Winning Playwright Lee Blessing Contributed
Muddying the waters even further is that the producers convinced nationally known playwright Lee Blessing (most known for A Walk in the Woods) into contributing a ten-minute play to the choice of plays. He joins other playwright/possible AI dramaturgs Carol Brammer, Zina Camblin, Kevin Crowley, Eli Davis, and Sam Brett Williams.
Since I know the styles of several of the above-listed playwrights, I have my suspicions as to which author wrote which plays. I will find out if I am right after the final performance when the playwrights will be paired up with their plays. Audience members can give their email address to get the results.
Performers
Man v. Machine has a solid cast of actors: Ryan Bowron, Tracy Connor, Denise Dalvera, Eli Davis, Olaf Eide, Kelly Hale, Delancy O’Toole, Michael Spitz, and Tina Tonae. It also has an experienced group of directors for the six plays: Carol Brammer, Kevin Crowley, Paul Morris, Pam Shooner, and Tara Williams.
The performance I saw is hard to describe acting-wise, since the Sunday evening performance had a missing actor and some last-minute acting substitutes. This led to at least one play not living up to its full potential. Kudos for Eli Davis and Paul Morris for filling in on short notice within three of the plays.
There are some acting high points within this production. Kudos for the cast of “King of the World“–Tina Tonae and Ryan Bowron–who delivered a compelling and emotionally satisfying performance. I also enjoyed the over-the-top performance of Eli Davis in the political satire “The Importance of Being Eric.” This play seems to come from today’s headlines and the wild delivery of Davis is the perfect way to deliver a satire that could end up becoming fact.
More Talkback Needed
My major criticism for this show is that it needs a more developed talkback section after the plays. The six plays run roughly an hour long. So it would have been nice to have had a twenty- to thirty-minute discussion with a moderator (or two) who could provide context into AI, writing with AI, and computer assisted playwrighting on par with what Cincinnati World Cinema does with its screenings.
Granted, there was a quick Q&A after the show. However, without someone to be a strong moderator, the talk quickly fizzled out. This type of theatre raises some important questions about the future of AI in the creative arts that need to be discussed.
Overall
Overall, Man v. Machine is a fascinating deep dive into what the future might be if AI gets a stronghold in the world of playwrighting. As a playwright myself, this topic is of enormous interest.
If you want to try your hand at figuring out which plays are AI, then get down to see the Clifton Players Production of Man v. Machine.
Ticket Link for Clifton Players
Clifton Players’ Man v. Machine runs November 7-23, 2025. Click HERE for tickets.
