A guide to survival in the 21^st century!

What are the impacts of artificial intelligence on our lives? Aren’t we standing on the threshold of ‘digital dictatorship’? Yael Ronen (*1976), playwright and theater director of Israeli descent, has created an original genre of dystopian cabaret whereby she introduces us to the near future. Using a very witty and provocative form she draws our attention to the potential consequences of ill-considered technological progress. Ronen’s play is largely inspired by the popular science book 21 Lessons for the 21^st Century by the Israeli historian and philosopher Yuval Noah Harari, which addresses the phenomena such as artificial intelligence, big data or bioengineering, and their effects on the society as a whole as well as on moral decision-making by individuals. The dramatist confronts her characters with an array of unexpected dilemmas, letting them rely upon an artificial intelligence system called Alecto, which fully controls their lives. There is no need to decide for oneself: It is Alecto that generates the best responses and solutions based on a multitude of collected data. The drama carries the effects of technological progress to the very extremes, pointing out – in a humorous and sharply critical manner – to the dangers of digital dictatorship in which an individual makes little difference. The play was first performed in 2020 at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. At Brno’s Reduta Theater it will be staged by director Lukáš Brutovský, whose staging of Lady Doctor was widely acclaimed.

Czech premiere: at Reduta Theater on February 9^th, 2024

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