Universal Robots February 27, 2009

Universal Robots is Mac Rogers’ free adaptation of Karel Capek’s seminal 1921 play R.U.R.

The Great War has just ended. Czechoslovakia is a republic with an elected president and a thriving artistic community that includes celebrated playwright Karel Capek. But history cracks wide open when a young woman walks into Karel's life with a strange mannequin in a wheelchair… a mannequin that gets up and moves all by itself.

A science fiction thriller, love story, political allegory, redemptive tragedy and fast-paced entertainment, Universal Robots offers a compelling, alternate history of the Twentieth Century, starting with the invention of the robot in 1921 and chronicling the extraordinary consequences of that invention, which changes the world forever.
Mac Rogers freely adapted Czech playwright Karel Capek's seminal 1921 play R.U.R., which introduced the word "robot" to the world. Universal Robots departs significantly from Capek's script, offering a meaty and riveting story of war, love, faith, technology and the power of art to change the world, for both good and ill.

The 2007 workshop production of Universal Robots was hailed for its “edge-of-your-seat finish equal to the best story-telling of stage or screen” by Martin Denton, NYTheatre.com and as a “a widely appealing play” by New Theater Corps. Universal Robots was published in Plays and Playwrights 2008.
Rosemary Andress directs. The cast includes Esther Barlow (Helena), Jason Howard (Radosh/Radius), David Lamberton (Masaryk), David Ian Lee (Karel), Michelle O’Connor (One/Sulla), Ridley Parson (Salda/Baruch), Nancy Sirianni (Rossum), Tarantino Smith (Vaclavek), Ben Sulzbach (Peroutka), Jennifer Gordon Thomas (Jo). The creative team includes Raul Abrego (set design), Nicky J. Smith (costume design), Kia Rogers (lighting design), and Andrew Bellware (sound design). Saundra Yaklin is the production manager.

Performances: February 12 – March 7, 2009, Wed – Sat at 7:30 pm
Manhattan Theatre Source

Official Website: http://universalrobots.net