The Man From Earth

The Man From Earth

Synopsis

Every 10 years or so, John Oldman has to move on. No matter what he’s doing. No matter who he’s with. He has

to pack up and leave, or there will be talk of him not aging.

John was born 14,000 years ago. He has not aged a day since he was 35. On this instance, he decides, on a whim, to tell his friends why he is leaving, turning an impromptu farewell-party into a mysterious and intense interrogation.

The only setting is in and around Oldman’s house, with the plot advancing through intellectual arguments between Oldman and his fellow faculty members.

Issues Explored

• Mortality

• Empirical evidence

• Religious faith

Characters

• John Oldman

• Dan (mellow/chilled out anthropologist, quiet+smart)

• Harry (biologist, loud and strange yet endearing)

• Edith (older woman, devout Christian)

• Sandy (historian, John’s girlfriend)

• Art Jenkins (cool archeologist with a bad-ass bike)

• Linda Murphy (Art’s charming student)

• Will Gruber (old psychiatrist)