Rossum's Universal Robots (R.U.R.): Theater Arts at Caltech

Theater at the California Institute of Technology (TACIT) presents Czech playwright Karel Capek's "comedy of science" R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots). Written in 1920 and translated into English in 1923, R.U.R. quickly became an international success. Though most famous for coining the term robot, derived from the Czech word for worker or serf-laborer, R.U.R. is no simple piece of science fiction. Rather, it contemplates the limits of human reason in a changing world, exposing the deep-seated desire of humans to control nature, the willingness to abolish work, and the dire consequences of attempting to create utopia.

Mixed with a surrealist sense of humor, video, and living human machines, TACIT's R.U.R. boasts a cast and crew of over 30, bringing together Caltech undergraduate and graduate students, Caltech staff, JPL/NASA employees, and theater professionals from the Los Angeles area.

R.U.R. is directed by Brian Brophy (Shawshank Redemption, Day Without a Mexican, Star Trek: The Next Generation), the director of Theater Arts at Caltech (TACIT). TACIT casts feature Caltech undergraduates, graduate students, staff members and Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) engineers.

The play will also be presented on Thursday and Friday, and on Sunday afternoon and evening.

Discounted pricing for seniors, youth, students, and groups of 10 or more are available.