Public Domain #4: Rossum's Universal Robots

Directed by Joe Osheroff for Homunculus Mask Theater Company

December 15th - 18th, 2010 at The Tank

The science fiction classic as masked theatre.

The Futurians are often credited with the popularization and development of what we today call science fiction, somewhere around 1940. Almost 20 years earlier, the word "robot" made its premiere in Karel Čapek's play, Rossum's Universal Robots. RUR is the first story of robot revolution, and we think it's really cool that it happened to be in play form. The robots in RUR are written to be played by actors, and are almost undetectable as robots to characters in the play.

Homunculus Mask Theater Company is dedicated to creating entirely original, image based, physical theater that re-examines mask work from a modern, more relevant perspective. Our shows incorporate hand crafted, grotesque character masks with music, movement, and nonverbal story telling to explore the dark beauty that exists within and between all of us. While retaining the basic fundamentals of traditional mask theater, Homunculus strives to breathe new life into the form by introducing elements of hip hop, optical illusion, and rock and roll. The result is a brand new style of theater unlike anything else being produced today.