The Theater Department is hosting an interdisciplinary panel on the fall production U-R-U by Julia Lederer, which is based on Karel Čapek's 1920 Sci Fi play R.U.R. — the play that introduced the word "robot" into our vocabulary. U-R-U is located in a dystopian future where robots, initially mass produced to take over the toils of human labor, join in a revolution to destroy all humans. The play is directed by Edgerton guest artist Jessica Kubzansky from Boston Court.
Come join the director, playwright, Media, Arts and Culture's Professor Aleem Hossain, and Cognitive Science's Professor Justin Li to talk about how the play speaks to debates surrounding artificial intelligence; our fears and hopes about the replacement/supplementation of human labor, human contact, human emotions; and our anxieties and hopes regarding advancements in AR and VR.
Following the discussion, a reception for "U-R-U: Aren’t You", the Ettinger Projected Poetry and Art Project, will be open to all guests on the steps of Johnson Hall. Inspired by themes from the play, "U-R-U: Aren't You" is a video installation projected onto the facade of Johnson and Fowler.
On view: November 26 - December 2
