Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Meet the robot actor starring in a play inspired by Kafka
CNET: In Franz Kafka's novella "The Metamorphosis," Gregor Samsa famously wakes to discover he's been transformed into a giant insect. In a decidedly modern theatrical take on the surreal story, Samsa wakes to find he's a robot. A gangly, metallic, white-faced robot.
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Robots within a theatrical or entertainment environment is something that really grabs my attention and is something that I would love to witness in person. I be the experience is like nothing else, blending humans with robotics. Robots contain many features that humans can never capture. They are lifeless and are often difficult to connect with on an emotional level. There tare also many downsides to using robotics within a theatrical environment. Robots and technology have a much higher percentage of failing compared to human activity. They can only be controlled so much before they make their own decisions. Using a robot in a show must also be extremely expensive and take time to make it performable. I hope to someday see a performance that incorporates a robot.
We are rapidly moving into an age where our technological advances are going through the roof. It is amazing to see how actors in todays theatre world are working together with new technological advancements. Having a robot acting can provide a lot of problems for an actor but it also provides a new element to excitement to the theatre. Because of this, people will flock from all over the world to see this production just because of the acting robot. Its great to know that people who are not really theatre goers will be immersed into the theatre world just because they had a curiosity. I cannot wait for the new technological developments that come from this new type of experimental theatre.
I read this short story in my Senior year English class and fell in love with it. All the symbolism and metaphor demonstrated as the story progresses is simply brilliant and even the background itself (mainly the storylines of the main character's sister and parents) are so well thought out and developed just as much as the man who turns into a bug. With the robot rewrite, I am unsure of what they are going to change in order to maintain the artistic messages found within the original story. I also wonder what it will be like for the actors to have to respond to a robot's actions as opposed to another human's actions.
So I've always wanted to see the play version of Metamorphosis and what concepts that the designers choose to make the world of this play. I've seen pictures of performances that include a forest, a house turned upside down, and even a completely white house that is covered in black mud, caused by Gregor, by the end of the show. But this one takes a whole new turn. The true story of Metamorphosis describes Gregor's transformation to be a "monstrous vermin" and it's often interpreted to be an insect or a dark creature you would have nightmare of as a child. But Hiroshi Ishiguro made the artistic decision to make this vermin a robot. Because the of technological advances in our world, we have the ability to make interesting artistic choices that don't have to be dealt with in a traditional way. It helps to challenge the mind and the audience to create a memorable experience. However, good or bad, a robot make conflict with the writing of kafka's writing and his version of the world of the play. Kafka explains the vermin to have an bug structure which is different than a robot. So people who are huge fans of Kafka's work may judge. And for my person preference I imagine Gregor to be grotesque and swift in movement and when I think of robots I think of clean and uniform. So I really like the idea of this version, but I don't think it would be a production I would be psyched about.
Theater has been using the ways that inanimate objects can move an audience for longer than any robots have existed. This play is next step in this chain. Where does an object/robot cross the line from being a thing to a character? Puppets are characters right? What about the horses from warhorse? What if there is a man behind the curtain controlling a machine? What if its an AI? That is when it becomes a robot right? I dont see any reason why it could not move an audience.
In Special Topics: Magical Realism this year, we delved into a lot of adaptations of Kafka's novella. We watched trailers for god-awful movies, animations that worked, and theatrical pieces that took our breath away. One point that really stuck with us was that whenever Gregor was live and still in a human form whilst insect, it worked better than having a human-sized bug. As far as robot went though, this is the first I've seen of it. Honestly, I don't know if it would work or not. To me, the play is still delving into the deep themes of isolation and failure to connect, but as far as actual acting, I have no idea if this will engage the audience.
I think it is very interesting that they were able to incorporate a robot in a play and make it seem like a real person. The advances in technology lately have been amazing. No one thinks of a robot as a form of art that can move you, but they were able to make that happen. I do not think that robots in plays will be a common thing because no matter how amazing the technology is, it is not a real human. Many things could go wrong at anytime with a robot, that you don't need to worry about with a human. This would definitely be a great selling point for people to come see the show.
All I could think while watching the video is how much the robot's face freaks me out- it's just human enough to be familiar and just alien enough to be terrifying (this is called the "uncanny valley" effect and it's super interesting). It's an effect that would be impossible to achieve with a human actor, no matter how good the costume was. There are limits to certain theatrical techniques- no matter how realistic the makeup or the costume or the fake blood is, the audience knows that it's an actor underneath and that affects how they view the show. With an actual robot on stage, it's kind of like using real animals or even something as simple as real food- it brings a dimension to the show that couldn't exist any other way. If the actors mess up their lines, the robot isn't going to cover for them. If the robot starts short-circuiting, that's going to actually happen and there's nothing anyone can do about it. I feel like this would really connect the audience to the play in a whole new way, and it's really fascinating to think about how this could be applied to different shows.
I think this is one of those modern interpretations of a play that really presents the canon text in a really innovative way. It's so easy for modern interpretations to go over the top with new-age references and I think that the basis of the plot of this interpretation really does the interpretation part of the process fantastically. I'm not sure how well all of this will read on stage, not to mention the technical logistics of using a robot on stage, however, this could hopefully be done really well. Its a truly fantastic idea.
Watching the video within the article, I was surprised that I could really see how much emotion the robot exuded. I haven't read the play myself, but from reading this article I can glean that the director chose a very effective and clever replacement for Samsa's metamorphosis. It is a testament to Kafka and the director that the 1915 play can be modernized and still be relevant to a general audience. I'd like to see the play, yet though I can see the emotion on the robot's face I am not sure I would necessarily feel for it. I think there is an innate sense of recognition within humans that allows us to recognize what is like us and what is unlike us. I think it will take a lot more development and modernization for me to empathize with a robot, no matter how much technology goes into it.
I definitely think that this robot will work with "The Metamorphosis" because the text presents a reason and significance as to why the robot is being used. I am interested to know whether or not other productions using robots will work as well, especially new works which have been created specifically for this technology. I have a hard time seeing myself connecting to a robot as a character unless there is a very well thought out reason for its being there. Traditionally, technology in theatre has been used to represent something that is transcendently not human, so using robots that will act and talk like humans is breaking that accepted boundary. I'm not sure if it makes me feel uncomfortable or intrigued.
Ever since Disney introduced a life sized audio animatronic(Abraham Lincoln) at the 1964 world's fair in New York the entertainment industry has never looked at robots the same way again. The fact that a robot has enough identifiable "emotion" as a human to put on an entire performance is a great feat in and of itself. I felt this with the puppets when I went and saw War Horse. Although they were controlled by visible humans, the skill and attention to detail masked it all. Entertainment technology is moving in the right direction.
The futurist in me is so excited right now I can barely contain myself. While the insertion of a new concept (robotics) into an older text seems clunky from an outside perspective, I absolutely think this is a step in a bold new direction. I love the idea of exploring humanity and identity using non-human actors. I think it makes for compelling theatre. That is, if the actors do their job properly.
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