The SVSU Theater Department starts the new school year with a new take on the 1920 play “Rossum’s Universal Robots” (R.U.R.), using artificial intelligence to adapt the show into a musical.
R.U.R. is a story about the creation and ethical use of humanoid robots. The Theater Department decided to conduct what Director Tommy Wedge calls “an experiment” in which they took the original play of R.U.R. and prompted ChatGPT to create a musical version with AI-generated music, lyrics, and lines, as well as changing some of the plot points and opting for a different ending.
Through this experiment, professors and students across many departments have come together to contribute to making the show more than just an AI-generated script.
“[Dr. Erik Trump] had this really interesting idea of staging R.U.R. by using artificial intelligence to adapt it,” Wedge explained when asked about the decision to put the show on. “It was going to be this really exciting way to bring different departments across campus to collaborate with each other.”
Wedge listed the many minds behind the project, including Technical Director Jerry Dennis, Dr. Norman Wika of the Music Department, and Professor J. Blake Johnson and Lecturer Phillip Hanson of the Art Department. The “conversation about AI,” as Wedge calls it, is more like a test to see just how far AI can go.
In addition to the major collaboration behind the scenes, the actors bring the adaptation to life.
“We’re finding our characters day by day,” Isabel Losa said, a senior theater major who plays the role of Pr1mus. “It’s kind of cool because you’re building something from nothing.”
Others weighed in on the challenging aspects of AI.
“As actors, there’s a lot of stage direction that AI doesn’t give us,” Brook Treynor said, a sophomore psychology major who plays the role of Dr. Gall. “We get to interpret and interact differently … since the AI doesn’t provide us with a ton of undertones.”
Turning from the AI aspects of the show, many of the actors expressed positive thoughts toward the progress of the production.
“So far … we’ve made good progress!” Stephanie Crachiolo said, a senior music major who plays the role of Helena. “It’s definitely a unique learning process … but I think everyone is working together really well!”
R.U.R. takes the stage in the Malcolm Field Theater from Oct. 15 to 19. More information can be found on the theater department’s Instagram, @svsu_theatre_department.
“AI is here,” Wedge said. “[The question is] if it’s going to be here, how am I going to use it ethically, and where is my boundary?”
