Matthew Gasda's play 'Doomers' comments on the recent upheaval in the tech world, specifically the ousting of OpenAI's Sam Altman. Collaboratively written with the help of A.I. tools ChatGPT and Claude, its narrative explores the crisis of a fictional tech CEO, Seth. Set in San Francisco, the play unfolds over a single night as Seth navigates his termination and the ensuing turmoil among the company’s board. Despite its timely themes, 'Doomers' struggles with narrative coherence and risks appearing self-indulgent, assuming audience engagement without sufficient setup.
Conventional wisdom says the theater is slow to react to current events, but dramatists like Ayad Akhtar have clamored lately to tell stories about artificial intelligence.
Matthew Gasda's new play Doomers, inspired by Sam Altman's ouster, was written with ChatGPT and Claude's assistance, sharing dramaturgy credit.
Despite a focus on A.I. and a beleaguered ex-C.E.O., Doomers lacks narrative coherence and feels self-indulgent, taking audience investment for granted.
The first act of Doomers is stronger, centering on the protagonist Seth's crisis as he refuses to compromise and clings to his former power.
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