LAKEWOOD THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
R.U.R. (ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS)
SEPTEMBER 13 – OCTOBER 20, 2024

To purchase tickets CLICK HERE.

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.

The Title Sponsor for R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots is The Lakewood Center Associates.

Ticket prices are $42 for adults and $40 for seniors. Other discounts are available for students and groups. For additional information and tickets, call the Lakewood Box Office at (503) 635-3901 or order online

Special note: On Wednesday, September 25, the theatre continues its Wine on Wednesday program called WOW: 25-35. For audience-goers 35 and under, tickets are priced at $30 each. Use the code WOW30 when ordering tickets online to get this special discount. At this performance, there will be a complimentary wine tasting one hour before curtain courtesy of an Oregon vineyard. OLCC rules apply! Bring your ID for the tasting!

About the Play: The play is a futuristic thriller exploring the ethics and decision-making behind robotics and artificial intelligence. Written in 1920, its relevence seems timely in the wake of today’s AI tech revolution.

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.

The talented ensemble for R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) includes Jacquelle Davis, Conor Eifler, Stan Smith, Nohad Abbass, Katie “AL” Rodgers, Jereck Flamenco, Margo Schembre, Connor French, Meg Morrigan, and Sammy Martin. LTC’s production of R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) is directed and adapted by Matthew B. Zrebski, set design and props are by Kyra Sanford, light design is by Josh Hauser, costume design is by Laura Helgesen, and original music and sound design is by Matthew B. Zrebski. The stage manager is Aubrey Snowden, the production manager is Kendra Comerford, and the producer is Steve Knox.

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THE FUTURE IS NOW

THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: HUMANOID ROBOTS IN RECENT NEWS

July 2021
As Tesla’s former head of AI, Andrej Karpathy, said at the automaker’s first AI Day in 2021, the company is basically trying to build “a synthetic animal from the ground up.”

July 2022
Elon Musk showed off a prototype version in 2022 of a humanoid robot called Optimus that took a few steps, waved to a crowd and performed basic dance moves. He said it was the first time the robot had operated without a tether. He also demonstrated a sleeker but nonfunctioning model that he said was closer to production.

May 2023
Canada-based Sanctuary AI is on a mission to create “the world’s first human-like intelligence in general purpose robots.” To do that, it is developing Carbon, an AI control system for robots, and in May 2023, it unveiled Phoenix, its sixth-gen robot and first humanoid equipped with Carbon. “We designed Phoenix to be the most sensor-rich and physically capable humanoid ever built … We see a future where general-purpose robots are as ubiquitous as cars, helping people to do work that needs doing, in cases where there simply aren’t enough people to do that work.”
– Sanctuary AI CEO Geordie Rose

June 13, 2024
At Tesla’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting, CEO Elon Musk claimed humanoid robots could lift the company’s market cap to $25 trillion at an unspecified future date.
– CNBC

June 24, 2024
Elysium Robotics develops human-muscle-like actuators
Elysium Robotics recently announced it has developed artificial muscles for high-dexterity applications such as humanoid robots and prosthetics. Elysium has created a soft robotic dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) that can be mass-produced at low cost, with a performance and footprint similar to human muscle. DEAs can be fiber-shaped to more closely mimic skeletal muscles and to enable novel structures. Elysium’s design does not require motors, gearboxes or other moving parts.
– Robotics 24/7 Staff

July 5, 2024
Humanoid robots powered by AI turn heads at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. The World Artificial Intelligence Conference in China is showcasing hundreds of AI-related products and innovations. Around 25 robots are catching the eye of visitors, including some humanoid models that have never been seen before.
Published 3:31 PM PDT, July 5, 2024
– Associated Press

July 8, 2024
Meet the AI-powered robots Big Tech is betting can solve the global labor crisis.
Humanoid robots are catching the attention, and billions of investment dollars, from Big Tech companies like Amazon, Google, Nvidia, Tesla and Microsoft. Powered by AI, these bots have seen quantum leaps in what they’re capable of in just the past few years. Are they a cure-all for our global workforce problems, or is this is yet another tech bubble?
– CNBC

July 22,2024
Tesla to Have Humanoid Robots for Internal Use Next Year, Musk Says.
Tesla will have humanoid robots in “low production” for the company’s internal use next year, CEO Elon Musk said on Monday, months after he announced a rollout by the end of 2024. The automaker will have the robots “hopefully” in high production for other companies in 2026, Musk said in a post on social media platform X.
– Reuters

July 23,2024
Tesla has said it aims to build an “autonomous humanoid robot” to perform “unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks.” Mr. Musk has previously said Tesla aimed for the robots to be mass produced and cost less than $20,000 each.
– BBC