The curtain rose. She gave a gasp. The first time she’d seen live theatre, and her reaction was everything I’d hoped.
“Why isn’t it in colour?” she whispered.
I explained the play was about the old days, and things then were in black and white because colour hadn’t yet been invented.
“You know,” I said, “like in the old movies.”
As the crowd spilled out of the auditorium, she announced “I’m going to be an actor when I grow up.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was all done by avatars now.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
There is a lot of truth in your comment that things used to be in black and white.
Nowadays we live in shades of grey.
Sad story, expertly written.
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Thanks so much, CE
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Wow what a twist. Makes me wonder what humans will be doing in the future or rather what they will be denied.
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Sorry. I don’t generally write twists, but I couldn’t resist this one
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Well worth it!
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Thanks, Tannille
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AI would perhaps make caricatures act, than have drama schools.
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It will write our books soon too. But they’ll have a strange sameness to them
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There are poem generators, which generate nonsensical stuff. The lack of a soul shows.
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At least the writers will still be human beings. Or will they?
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For a while. Until the work on the Shakespeare AI is finalised
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She may be part of a movement that goes back to the old ways 🙂
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Now there’s a comforting thought
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In the year 2525…I hope we never get to that place, Neil. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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AI-generated characters are already bringing dead actors back to life
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Hm, There is that. CGI is a miracle onscreen.
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I’m sure you have seen this:
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I remember this fear when CGI started being used that it would replace humans in films one day. It hasn’t come to pass yet, and I suspect it may never happen. There is still something innately ‘human’ that avatars have yet to master.
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And yet they are using dead actors and singers in films and concerts
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At the moment though, we are still able to tell the difference, however slightly. The worry will come when we cannot distinguish between the two.
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Are you sure we can? In all cases?
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Is Trump definitely a real person? That would explain a lot…
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He’s rather poorly engineered if he’s a hologram
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The hair certainly looks fake.
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Ah the future dystopia. Well captured
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Thanks, Joshua
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This is a disquieting topic, but a nicely penned piece of whimsy. I smiled through my frowns.
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Disquieting whimsy? I’m proud
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You’ve every right to be!
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Seems like actors will end up like the corner shop, marginalised. So sad, but a great use of the prompt
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Thanks, Mike
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Such a horrid thought!
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Sorry
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Sometimes it feels like that is true!
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And, increasingly, it is
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Technology is really advancing.
Things are so much different now and will be in the future too.
That doesn’t stop us from dreaming what we want to be 🙂
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CGI engineers, for instance
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In time humans may be employed to entertain avatars.
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We may be willing to pay for the privilege
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Ah, if color hasn’t yet been invented … can you imagine how bright things would be when it COLOR finally arrives?
Nicely done!
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Thanks so much
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🙂
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Just like CGI has replaced the old fashioned FX. Give me a “bad B” movie from the 60’s any day over one of the modern CGI-on-steroids ones.
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Maybe the 1930s
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i didn’t expect the twist. totally unexpected. well done. 🙂
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Thanks so much
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What is a poor actor to do? Can’t fall back on waiting tables as AI is doint that too.
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research in pure mathematics seems to be all that’s left
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A future which is slowly becoming reality. And watching a “behind the scenes” programme the other day, I was shocked at the level of CGI, right down to what people were wearing in particular scenes…
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And indeed what brand of shoes they were wearing
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We have robots already, thinking for us. Scarily true. My kids don’t even like black n white movies, but I remember not really wanting to watch a silent movie at all. Written crisp, ominously creative. Yes, 2025… I wonder🤔
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Thanks so much
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🙂
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Oh this is great but also heartbreaking. Live theatre is mesmerizing. But all avatars ? A tragedy
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Thanks Laurie
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Given that Whitney Houston’s Hologram is on tour right now this seems not far from the truth
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Not far at all
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Neil, that was a completely unexpected twist. Good one 🙂
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Sorry. I can only apologise for the twist and promise to try not to do it again
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Why apologize? It was genius 🙂
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We’ll all be programmers or robot mechanics in the future…if they let us live that is.
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DNA traders?
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Maybe.
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The sad thing is that I’m old enough to understand your story. Well penned. I had a conversation with my 12yo daughter today because she had a bad day in computer class. She asked me if I did computer classes. I said yes, it was called typing class. Too funny. 🙂
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I hope there isn’t an age bar to understanding since they still show black and white films. I liked the typing class joke
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No there isn’t an age bar, I loved Shirley Temple.
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Whew!
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I loved the youthful enthusiasm and was disappointed to learn we have moved into a new world of AI and robots.
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Sorry.
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This struck so many cords. I have a sister-in-law that WILL NOT watch black and white movies. She doesn’t know what she’s missing. I love them for all the little nuances of shadow and light. Nooooo! No avatars! Well done.
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Thanks so much, Alicia
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There are already some actors who could be replaced by AI and you would never know the difference.
Loved the story.
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Perhaps they already have been
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People have to grow up to avatar programmers instead, I guess. Nice story.
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Thanks so much, David
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Ah, science fictiony – nice one.
My first time here – and rather late.
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Thanks, Anthony and welcome to Friday Fictioneers
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I love this line, “I explained the play was about the old days, and things then were in black and white because colour hadn’t yet been invented.” I’ve said something similar. Great twist at the end, too.
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Thanks so much
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Oh my…that is SO sad!
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Thanks, Dawn
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I liked the message in this Neil, I remember life in black and white and noticed and am still noticing the changes and the ominous end is probably not far from how it will all turn out. Nice one
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Thanks so much, Michael, I don’t think this colour thing will catch on
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