University Theatre presents Uncanny Valley by Thomas Gibbons. Performances will be held in the Cellar Theatre Sept. 22-24, 27-30 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 2 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $16, $12 for students, and can be purchased at drama.uga.edu/box-office, by phone at 706-542-4400, or in person at the Performing Arts Center or Tate Center box office.
Uncanny Valley examines the relationship between Claire (played by second year MFA acting student Katherine Butcher), a pioneer in the field of robotics, and her most recent robotic creation, Julian (played by second year MFA acting student Larry Cox Jr.). As Julian, under Claire’s guidance, develops physically and mentally to become more and more human-like, both Claire and Julian are gradually forced to grapple with philosophical and moral questions that sciences cannot answer: What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be alive? Why does the uncanny valley that separates reality from simulation frighten and intrigue us?
“It’s a science fiction play,” said director David Saltz, who also heads the theatre and film studies department, about the general appeal of the work. “I, like lots of people, love science fiction. And I love theatre, of course. But while there are countless science fiction movies and novels, you rarely see a science fiction play.”