R.U.R. or Rossum’s Universal Robots
A play about Corporate illogic and the end of Humanity
Written by Karl Kapek of the Brothers Kapek
Directed by Jamie Sweet
Written in 1923 by Karl Kapek and credited with introducing the word “robot” to the English language, R.U.R. is still a complex and relevant work. Using an ensemble cast to reflect different aspects of society through the corporate structure and a moral tapestry, the play takes us on a journey that touches on communism, utopianism, capitalism, and the idea that man could easily be supplanted by his own technological revelations. Using a variety of archetypes in an abstract way to illustrate the oncoming wave of fascism in 1923, today R.U.R. shows how we are dominated by the corporate mentality of more for us is great for you, even if it costs you your life.