Robot Radius

ABOUT PERFORMANCE

The production Robot Radius has arisen from a free dialogue with Karel Čapek’s drama R.U.R., which premiered a century ago. The themes the writer tackled are viewed through the prism of the 21st century, its new challenges and tendencies, such alarming phenomena as climate change, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering … Our hero is a scientist, the last surviving person on the devastated Earth. He faces a harrowing dilemma, as he has to make a decision on behalf of the entire, annihilated, humanity – to transform from physical into digital man. The doubts the scientist has are perhaps the final thing that links his mind to the essence of human existence, which he voluntarily renounces. Yet it may not be the case and the taking of the irreversible decision is a new, unavoidable stage of development, an evolutionary leap he simply has to make in order to save humanity.

The production experiments with augmented reality, applying the motion capture technology, whereby the movement of the performer shows on the screen in real time by means of sensors fixed on his body. The actor is thus able to shape the picture directly. Interactive too is the live music, as played by the guitarist Michal Pavlíček, with the capture of the sound triggering or changing that which is unfurling on the screen.

The project was created in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner General for the Participation of the Czech Republic in the Dubai EXPO 2020.

“For our megalomania, for someone’s profits, for progress, I don’t know for what tremendous things we have killed humanity.” 
(Karel Čapek, R.U.R.)

CAST AND CREATIVE

Radim Vizváry
Michal Pavlíček