A timely science fiction suspense thriller that investigates the impact of artificial intelligence. What happens when our machines start to outsmart us?
In R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek, a robot-making company wants to free humans from all labor by creating life-like intelligent humanoid robots but doesn’t know when to shut the factory down even when things go awry. Originally written by Karel Čapek and adapted and directed by Matthew B. Zrebski, R.U.R. continues through Sunday October 20, 2024.
Performances are Thurs-Sat at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 2:00 PM, one Saturday (October 5) at 2:00 PM, and one Wednesday (September 25) at 7:30 PM. Lakewood Theatre Company features an intimate 220-seat theatre located at Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego.
Set in a futuristic world as envisioned in 1920, there is a mysterious island on which sits the factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots. The factory has turned out hundreds of thousands of biologically engineered humanoids that are not mechanical but living automats seemingly without souls, desires or feelings. The Czech word “robata” means “forced labor,” and indeed the Robots have no choices of their own to make. Helena Glory (Taylor Jean Grady) of the Humanity League believes the Robots deserve the same rights as humans, and she comes to the island to ascertain what can be done to improve the conditions of these creatures. In a pivotal meeting with Harry Domin (Matt Sunderland), the general manager of the factory, she realizes the only way to pursue her goals is to marry him and act from the inside of the organization. Years pass in which global events escalate; Robot uprisings and unrest become more and more common. Due to Helena’s desire to have the Robots be more like humans, Dr. Gall (Brian Trybom), the head of the physiological and experimental departments, had secretly changed the design formula, partially humanizing the newest models. Now, when one of Helena’s favorites, Radius (Andrew Tesoriero), malfunctions, she spares him from being discarded into the stamping mill. Little does she know that Radius is leading a growing Robot revolt. And as danger mounts, it becomes clear that the Robots may have been evolving on their own all along.
