News Release: 8/22/2025

AI and Intimacy Take Center Stage in SPARC Theater’s Fifth Annual Science @ Play Series

LIVERMORE, CA — SPARC Theater marks the fifth anniversary of its Science @ Play series with a daring exploration of artificial intelligence and its impact on human relationships. This annual program, dedicated to commissioning BIPOC playwrights to explore scientific themes through compelling narratives, brings audiences two innovative works that push the boundaries of creativity and connection.

The first weekend will feature a world premiere script generated entirely by artificial intelligence — a bold experiment in machine-made creativity developed with input from community members who will help shape the storyline. “It’s a risk, absolutely,” says program director Michael Wayne Rice. “But AI is one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in recent memory, and this series is about exploring the edge where science meets humanity. Why not push that boundary on our stage?” Performances run March 13–15, 2026, and each will be followed by a post-show discussion.

The second weekend showcases a new commission from acclaimed playwright Cleavon Smith, a professor of Theatre Arts at Oregon State University and U.S. military veteran known for his emotionally resonant, socially conscious work. Smith’s play follows a couple who turn to researchers — and their AI tools — to rekindle lost intimacy, only to risk numbing themselves to the very pain that could lead to healing. “The play is about the tension between comfort and growth,” Smith explains. “Sometimes, the hard conversations and shared struggles are exactly what bring us back to each other.” Performances run March 27–29, 2026, with audience talkbacks shaping the evolving script.

“This program is built on the idea that science doesn’t have to be distant: it can be personal, emotional, and deeply theatrical,” says Lisa Tromovitch, SPARC Theater’s Executive Artistic Director and the originator of the Science @ Play initiative.