Thought Experiments: Robots & AI

Thought Experiments on the Question of Being Human: Robots and AI, teams five local playwrights and five scientists whose collaboration creates five original plays that explore how innovations in the fields of robotics and AI might bring into question what it means to be human. Thought Experiments: Robots and AI is currently scheduled for  June 13, 14, & 15 at Town Hall, Seattle.

For tickets or an All Festival Pass go here.

The plays are divided into two sets:

Set A includes “The Robot Decision” by Pamela Hobart Carter, directed by Omar Willey; and “Mechanical Matters” by May Nguyen and “Spotless” by Maggie Lee, both directed by Agastya Kohli.

Set B includes “Parameter Space” by Jim Jewell, directed by Rachel Delmar and “The Question of Love” by Kathy Hsieh, directed by David Hsieh.

The plays are presented as staged readings. Following the plays each evening is a scientist-led conversation where the audience can explore the questions and issues raised by the plays about the impact that robots and artificial intelligence may have on their lives.

Set A is scheduled for June 13th at 7:30 pm and June 15th at 6:00 pm; Set B is scheduled for June 14th at 7:30 pm and June 15th at 8:30 pm.

Tickets are only $5 to $17 (for an All Festival Pass). Come see these great plays and take part in the conversation following.

The scientists for 2013 are:

Peter H. Kahn, Jr. Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington and Director of the Human Interaction With Nature and Technological Systems (HINTS) Lab;

Cady Stanton, Research Assistant, Department of Psychology, University of Washington;

Andrew Stewart, Ocean Engineer in the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington;

Paulina Varshavskaya, Image Processing Scientist at RareCyte, Inc., whose past research included humanoid robotics, biomimetic robotics and distributed robot systems;

Luke Zettlemoyer, an Assistant Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington.

The playwrights:

Pamela Hobart Carter, a poet and playwright, whose plays have appeared at Live Girls! and other Seattle area venues;

Kathy Hsieh, an award-winning actor, writer and director whose scripts have been produced by the Northwest Asian American Theatre, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre, and featured at the Seattle Fringe Theatre Festival and 14/48.

Jim Jewell, a writer, performer and communications professional, whose work has appeared at 14/48, The Festival of Erotic Shorts, and other Seattle venues;

Maggie Lee, the lead sketch writer, as well as an actor, producer, and panda wrangler for the Pork Filled Players and has also written for 14/48, Balagan and Open Circle;

May Nguyen, a scientist by day and an actor and playwright by night and weekends; she has written for Pork Filled Players and Insatiable 5!