Sci-fi’s first ‘robot’ army takes over LCCT

A robot uprising more than a century in the making opens this Friday at Las Cruces Community Theatre.

“Rossum’s Universal Robots (R.U.R.),” written in 1920 by Czech playwright Karel Čapek, introduced the word “robot” to the English language and serves as something of a prototype for modern science fiction stories from “Blade Runner” to “Battlestar Galactica.”

First-time director Jason Wyatt brings a retro-futuristic style to the classic androids-vs.-humans tale, blending AI-generated and human design to set the stage for an exploration of humanity, autonomy, technology and society.

Set in the not-too-distant future, the play follows a company called Rossum’s Universal Robots, which has developed artificially intelligent, autonomous laborers known as “robots” (derived from the Czech word “Robota,” which means “forced labor”). The robots soon begin to develop their own desires and interests, understanding concepts such as servitude and love, and ultimately deciding that they no longer wish to be under their human masters’ thumb.

Aaron Setliff, left, and Niko Gonzales rehearse a scene from “Rossum’s Universal Robots,” running March 28 through April 13 at Las Cruces Community Theatre, 313 N. Main St.

Although written in 1920 and first performed in 1921, the themes of artificial intelligence, man’s complicated relationship with technology and the role it plays in our moral development, and what it means to be human are not only universal but very timely in the era of social media, the rise of “large language model” AI systems, and the ongoing struggle of minorities to achieve equal representation and regard in our society at large.

“‘Rossum’s Universal Robots’ is really an allegory about oppression and resistance and the plight of the working class in society and how they can take power back for themselves,” Wyatt said. “One of the things that I really love about this play is that, although it was written 105 years ago, it has themes that are so relevant today.”

Because so many sci fi stories draw inspiration from R.U.R. as source material, Wyatt included visual nods to more familiar works as “Easter eggs” for keen-eyed audience members to discover in the set, costumes and staging choices.

“One of the things I wanted to do was highlight the impact that Karel Čapek, the playwright, has had, not only on science fiction, but on society at large,” Wyatt explained. “Čapek literally coined the term ‘robot’ for this play. What we tried to do was allude to pop culture robots that were influenced and created as a result of Karel Čapek’s work.”

For those not typically drawn to the sci fi genre, Wyatt said, the play still has plenty to offer.

“It’s just a really good story,” he said. “It’s a melodrama, so it’s over-the-top, but it’s got a love story, it’s got action, and it’s got really important themes of people fighting for freedom and wanting to be seen as equals to the people around them. And we really tried to cast in and stage it in a way that really brings those themes to the forefront.”

Nico Gonzales, who portrays top-grade robots Sulla and Radius, said she appreciates the humanity of her robot characters and the impact of the story.

“I think ‘Rossum’s’ is incredibly relevant to the times that we’re living in and is a real cautionary tale about our potential future,” she said. “It’s not very often that you see a dramatic, apocalyptic story on stage.”

“R.U.R.” opens Friday, March 28, at Las Cruces Community Theatre, 313 N. Main St., and runs through Sunday, April 13. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Tickets and more information are available at www.lcctnm.org.