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Jersey Arts Podcast: Oscar Nominee José Rivera Explores AI and Aging through Theater


By Maddie Orton, JerseyArts.com

originally published: 10/25/2024


Award-winning playwright José Rivera brings both his writing and directing talents to New Jersey Repertory Company’s production, Your Name Means Dream.  Rivera’s play explores the imagined highs and lows of artificial intelligence through the lens of healthcare–telling the story of Aislin, an aging woman who is being taken care of by Stacy, an A.I. entity.

Rivera may be most widely known for his work in film. He earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay of 2004’s The Motorcycle Diaries, and he was recently tapped to write the upcoming remake of the 1987 film, La Bamba. He sat down with the Jersey Arts Podcast to discuss his play, writing for stage and screen, and roller coaster that is show business.

New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) presents Your Name Means Dream from October 31 to November 24, 2024.  The cast includes Sara Koviak (Stacy) and Anne O'Sullivan (Aislin). Tickets are available for purchase online. NJ Rep is located at 179 Broadway in Long Branch, New Jersey.




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About the author: Maddie Orton is an Emmy-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. She has worked on several PBS shows including: "Take on Fake," "NJTV News," "MetroFocus," "WLIW Arts Beat," and "Treasures of New York." A life-long theater lover, Maddie created the documentary "I Can't... I Have Rehearsal," exploring New Jersey's arts education through high school musicals. She studied theater and American Studies at Rutgers University, and lives in the great Garden State with her husband and kiddo.

Content provided by Discover Jersey Arts, a project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.




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