Rossum's Universal Robots Invade Clarkson Theatre on Family Weekend
Christopher Erat
Issue date: 11/7/05 Section: Entertainment
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In the spirit of family weekend at Clarkson University, the Clarkson Theatre Company (CTC) presented R.U.R., originally written by Karel Capek in the 1920s. The three act symbolic sci-fi, fantasy play started off the weekend Thursday evening with their first curtain call of the production and continued through Saturday evening as the actors took their last bow.
R.U.R stands for Rossum's Universal Robots, and the premise of the play is partially obvious by the name; the plot revolves around a company that manufactures robots to sell to the public as workers. Dr. Gall, played by Robert Grogan, improves their design so that they can feel pain. Therefore, they can more easily replace humans as workers because they will have the human quality of knowing their body is in danger, which makes them more efficient workers.
In the beginning of the play, Helena, played by Katie Buckely, comes to see the plant on an assignment from a humanitarian organization devoted to liberating the Robots. Domin, who eventually marries Helena and is played by actor Cip Mills, explains to her that it is their opinion that the best worker is the cheapest made. Helena has opposing views and expresses her dislike of using the robots for manual labor and not acknowledging they must have a soul.
However, the idea of having robots do all humans' work is idealist and not fail proof. Throughout the act the characters discuss robots that need to be dismantled because there are uncharacteristic signs in their behavior.
Eventually wars break out as robots begin to revolt against the humans, due to robots that Helena had requested to be modified to develop their souls. "Robots of the world, you are ordered to exterminate the human race. . . Work must not cease!" one of the modified robots declares to all other robots. All of the humans are killed save one, Alquist, who is played by Matt Stedner, because he was the only human in the plant that still worked with his hands. He is put to work to find the "secret of life" and recreate the formula for their creation, since Helena had burned it before her death. At the end of the play Alquist witness two of robots in love and realizes that there may be hope for a new world yet.
The play itself was very entertaining, and coming from a technical school, it was very appropriate to have a play incorporating a plant that manufactures robots. There were many underlying themes of the time period in the 1920s, and it was very symbolic. The ending of the play dragged through the love scene between the two young robots, Helena (named after the human) and Primus, which were played by Niall Mangan and Nicholas McGraw respectively. Overall, however, the play was very well done and was a great success throughout the weekend.