Since Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot” was first published more than 80 years ago, mankind has been struggling to find the answer to what it means to be human.
Is it the ability to make our own decisions? To have a unique personality? To sense and feel emotions?
Putting a new twist on this idea is Thomas Gibbons’ “Uncanny Valley,” which opens this month at Open Stage of Harrisburg. The play tackles what it means to be a human in unique and unexpected ways.
“Uncanny Valley” takes place in the not-so-distant future and centers on Claire, a neuroscientist responsible for the training of Julian, an artificial human.
“There’s a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley,” Claire says to Julian early in the play, explaining that he is programmed to surmount the valley. “People are fascinated by an artificial being with a humanlike appearance. The nearer you come to being truly convincing, though, our fascination turns into an instinctive, inexpressible sensation of eeriness…wrongness.”
When we first meet Julian, Claire is teaching him the most basic of skills: blinking, raising eyebrows, smiling. As the play progresses, Julian grows rapidly and begins to understand emotions, perspective and a sense of self. He and Claire even forge a friendship, as Claire shares details of her estrangement with her daughter and her husband’s failing health.
When Claire has deemed Julian “ready,” she shares his true purpose. He will receive the memories, traits and experiences of a terminally ill man, Julian Barber, who has paid a fortune so that he may continue to “live” through Julian after his human body has died. As Julian develops into the deceased man, he becomes involved in a court case with his son, who refuses to acknowledge that a robot with artificial consciousness is his father.
Ultimately, Julian, Claire and the world around them struggle to define what encompasses humanity.
“In the end, humans are all very alike,” said Jeff Luttermoser, who portrays Julian. “We all seek purpose. We all seek connection. When we create artificial version of ourselves, they would ultimately do the same thing.”
Anne Alsedek, who portrays Claire, said that Julian is like Claire’s child.
“She wants to hold on to him and watch him develop and keep track of him like a pet,” she said. “He is not willing to do that because the more human you get, the less predictable behavior you’re going to get.”
Both Alsedek and Luttermoser struggle to define exactly what Julian is—human, robot or something in between?
“What human beings do is very different from what a robot would do, no matter how sophisticated the intelligence is,” Alsedek said.
Analyzing his character, Luttermoser said that Julian wants so much to be human and to do well at being human.
“There’s one part where Julian is exploring Claire’s face, and he notices she has scars,” he said. “Scars, physical and metaphorical, are something an artificial person may not have, especially if their memories and perceptions and truths have been fabricated or fixed in some ways. We spend our lives trying to ignore or cover up our scars, but, in the end, those may be what make us more human.”
Alsedek said that the play is timely, in that technology is moving in the direction of greater artificial intelligence.
“I’m hoping the audience will come away from the show understanding what that means,” she said.
A one-act play, “Uncanny Valley” is directed by Donald Alsedek, founder and producing artistic director of Open Stage. It’s his penultimate production, as he and his wife Anne, who also serves as Open Stage’s education director, will retire at the end of June. Don’s final production, “Ah, Wilderness,” runs June 2 to 25.
“Uncanny Valley” runs April 7 to May 7 at Open Stage of Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit www.openstagehbg.com.
Upcoming Theater Events At Harrisburg’s Professional Downtown Theaters
At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
PHP Young Acting Company Presents “The Wonderful Wizard of OZ!”
April 7 to 9
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15
The Popcorn Hat Players Present “Pinocchio”
April 19 to May 11
Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. available by request for groups of 20 or more.
Tickets are $8.
Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration An annual Spring Fling to support Gamut Theatre
Sunday, April 23
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Celebrate Gamut Theatre and the life of William Shakespeare.
Open Bar. Silent & Live Auctions. Entertainment. Tasty Food.
Tickets are $100 each or $150 per couple.
At Open Stage Of Harrisburg
www.openstagehbg.com
“Uncanny Valley”
A new play about artificial intelligence By Thomas Gibbons
April 7 to May 7
“SHELabration!”
A celebration of everything Shel Silverstein By the OSHKids
May 11 to 14
Author: Laura Dugan
