New Age Actors: Japanese Robots Co-Star in Play

Veteran actor, Orson Welles, once said that there were no small parts, only small actors. Read all about these cyber co-stars who are not yet available for autographs.

In a new metallic trend, robots are appearing on stage alongside human actors in a new play in Japan. According to news sources, these robots speak lines and move around the stage but are not yet allowed to join any unions! Playwright, Oriza Hirata, says his work raises questions about the relationship between humanity and technology. (I’ll say! How could it not?) Hataraku Watashi, which translates into I, Worker, is a play set in the near future that premiered at Osaka University. The plot centers around a young couple who own two housekeeping robots, one of which loses its motivation to work, not to mention his joie de vivre. The robot, manufactured by Mitsubishi, complains that it has been forced into boring and demeaning jobs and enters into a discussion with the humans about its role in their lives. So far, the play is only 20 minutes long but it is hoped to become a full-length production by 2010. Maybe they could get the ghost of Oscar Hammerstein to write the musical score? Go figure.