Recommended: Drama Dock delivers ‘anthropology’
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 13, 2026
When a grieving sister builds an artificial version of her missing sibling from digital traces — texts, emails and social media posts — the premise raises an uncomfortable question: Would others do the same?
That question sits at the center of “anthropology,” a play by award-winning playwright Lauren Gunderson that will open Drama Dock’s 50th season Thursday, May 21, at Vashon High School Theater.
The Northwest premiere follows Merril, a Silicon Valley coder and AI expert whose life is upended when her younger sister, Angie, vanishes on her way home from class. After police close the case, Merril turns to technology, assembling the digital traces Angie left behind to build a chatbot version of her sister. The comfort her cyborg sister offers, however, comes at a cost.
Director Steven Sterne said the play appealed to him because it does not reduce artificial intelligence to a cautionary lecture.
“‘Anthropology’ artfully weaves elements of my favorite genres — horror, science fiction and mystery — into a deeply human story about family, love, resilience and grief,” Sterne said in a press release from Drama Dock. “Fortunately, Gunderson’s work is warm, funny and absolutely gripping, making it far more engaging than any lecture.”
The production arrives as artificial intelligence increasingly shapes workplaces, creative fields and personal relationships. But Gunderson’s play approaches those questions through a family story, centering grief, memory and the human desire to keep loved ones close.
The production features Drama Dock Artistic Director Kelly Godell, local performers Amy Broomhall and Holly Boaz, and Trish Cosgrove, an actor from the mainland.
Understudies are Meg Thompson and Gaye Detzer. Sound and effects design are by Danny Powers, set and costume design by Jennifer Matthews, and lighting design by Jacob Viramontes.
Behind the scenes
Last week, former Beachcomber reporter Liz Shepherd got a sneak peek at the first several scenes in “anthropology” — a tight show that runs just over 90 minutes without an intermission.
“I love a good ghost story, and what could be more ghostly, when you stop to think about it, than artificial intelligence — a soulless machine supposedly encoded with the sum total of all past human learning, longing and loss,” Shepherd said. “I get the shivers just thinking about it.” Drama Dock, she said, is up to the challenges of the play.
“The cast for this show represents a deep bench of experience and talent,” she said. “At the rehearsal, I saw the actors shaping performances that capture the sorrowful grief at the center of the play’s plot. But they were also navigating all the startling plot twists and dark comedic notes that make “anthropology” so rich.”
Shepherd called the play an adventurous fit for Drama Dock’s 50th season, and said the scenes she’d seen at the rehearsal left her wanting more.
“I love that Drama Dock is presenting a play with a plot that seems both ripped from today’s headlines and also as old as time,” she said. “I’m also now obsessed with finding out how the play ends. I thought about just asking AI, but decided not to — I’d rather find out the old-fashioned way, sitting in a dark theater and biting my nails a bit.”
Performances of “anthropology” run May 21-24 at Vashon High School Theater, 9600 SW 204th St. Show times are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
General, student/senior and 4Culture Public Access tickets are available at dramadock.org. The show features language and themes that are not suitable for young children.
