(R)Evolution

Yael Ronen, Dimitrij Schaad

The technological cabaret (R)Evolution was written for the Maxim Gorki Theater by playwright Yael Ronen and actor Dimitrij Schaad, inspired by the work of Israeli thinker Yuval Noah Harari. Harari has long been concerned with the risks to contemporary society from technology, misinformation, and the alliance of governmental powers with the wealthiest – in 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, a book central to the play’s creation, he warns humanity of the advances in communication, health, and biomedicine that are set to come with the advent of artificial intelligence. At the time of the Berlin premiere, the public debate about artificial intelligence wasn’t by far as ubiquitous just yet, but by the time of the Brno premiere, language models were already being worked with at various levels, including medicine and biohacking.

Despite the themes it tackles (from climate catastrophes to eugenics and terror of an AI Big Brother), (R)Evolution is an entertaining cabaret – though all smiling suddenly freezes when dystopian visions of today begin to intermingle with those that seemed dystopian three years ago but are now reality. The ubiquitous AI agent “Alecto” who advises all humans on how to live also advises the machines on how best to care for their owners – and so the poor inhabitants of the near future find themselves in embarrassing situations where their refrigerator or toaster declares disobedience because: “You shouldn’t eat anything after 10 PM.”

Director Brutovský sets up his cabaret through very simple means – on a simple stage, the actors and their struggle with each other play the main role. Similarly minimalist is the music, an important part of any cabaret performance – the director has created it in collaboration with artificial intelligence, and the actors play it live from the stage with the help of synthesisers.

 

Translated by Barbora Schnelle
Directed and music by Lukáš Brutovský
Dramaturgy by Barbara Gregorová
Stage design by Pavel Borák
Costume design by Markéta Sládečková

Premiered on 9th February 2024

For those aged 15+
The production does not include nudity; however, it addresses topics related to partnership and sex which might feel obscure to a young audience.

  • “It wouldn’t be at all surprising if all these motifs gave an oppressive, even depressing impression. Not so. (R)Evolution, inspired by the work of Israeli historian and thinker Yuval Noah Harari, truly is haunting – but in an entertaining way. That is partly what makes it so powerful. The individual stories are constructed around witty points, and yet they give you the chills. In fact, both of the authors are already famous for their cheeky humour on the German stage.” — Michal Švanda, Kulturio

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  • “A show about the all too topical theme of the relationship between humans and ever-improving technology, especially artificial intelligence. Brutovsky’s production raises some of the more serious questions – such as how technology manipulates us, the dangers it poses to human freedom, or the ethical issues associated with genetic engineering. But it’s all wrapped up in a comedic guise, so the whole thing is more likely to amuse than disturb.” — Lukáš Dubský, i-divadlo.cz

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