R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) is a
science fiction play by
Karel Čapek. It premiered in
1921 and is famous for having introduced and popularized the term
robot.
The play begins in a factory that makes 'artificial people' - they are called robots, but are closer to the modern idea of
androids, creatures who can be mistaken for humans. They can plainly think for themselves, though they seem happy to serve. At issue is whether the robots are being exploited and, if so, what follows?
The play premiered in
Prague in
1921. It was translated from the
Czech into
English by Paul Selver, and adapted for the English stage by
Nigel Playfair in
1923. Basil Dean produced it in April
1923 for the Reandean Company at
St. Martin's Theatre,
London.
After having finished the manuscript, Čapek realized that he had created a modern version of the old
Golem legend. He later took an interestingly different approach to the same theme in
War with the Newts, in which non-humans become a servant class in human society.
R.U.R is dark, but not hopeless, and was successful in its day in
Europe and the
United States.
A more modern
1990 translation in English is available in
Towards the Radical Center: A Karel Čapek Reader, published by
Catbird Press.
In February
1938, a thirty-five minute adaptation of a section of the play was broadcast on
BBC Television—the first piece of
television science-fiction ever to be produced. In
1948 another adaptation, this time of the entire play and running to ninety minutes, was screened by the BBC, and in between in
1941 BBC radio had also produced a version. None of these three productions survive in the BBC's archives.
The Hollywood Theater of the Ear dramatized an unabridged audio version of R.U.R. which is available on the collection
2000x: Tales of the Next Millenia {ISBN 1574535560}.
The play popularized the word
robot, which displaced older words such as "
automaton" or "
android" in languages around the world. In its original
Czech,
robota means drudgery or servitude. The name
Rossum is an allusion to the Czech word
rozum, meaning "reason", wisdom, intellect. (It has been suggested that the allusion might be preserved by translating "Rossum" as "Reasson", but all published translations to date have left the name untouched.)
Parenthesis indicate differences in translations.
Humans* Harry Domin (Domain) - General Manager, R.U.R.
* Fabry - Chief Engineer, R.U.R.
* Dr. Gall - Head of the Physiological Dept, R.U.R.
* Dr. Hellman (Hallemeier) -
Psychologist-in-Chief
* Jacob Berman - Managing Director, R.U.R.
* Alquist - Clerk of the Works, R.U.R.
* Helena Glory - president of the Humanity League, daughter of President Glory
* Emma (Nana) - Helena's maid
Robots and Robotesses [sic]
* Marius, a robot
* Sulla, a robotess
* Radius, a robot
* Primus, a robot
* Helena, a robotess
PrologueHelena, the daughter of the president of a major industrial power, arrives at the island factory of Rossum's Universal Robots. She meets Domin, the General Manager of R.U.R., who tells her the history of the company and the robot technology, and the basics of economics which generate the demand for labor. Helena meets Fabry, Dr.Gall, Alquist, and Hallemeier, and reveals she is a representative of the League of Humanity, a human rights organisation which wishes to "free" the robots. She is then convinced of the irrelevance of such an organization to robots. Domin and Helena are engaged to be married.
Act OneTen years later, Helena and her nurse Nana are talking about current events. Helena and Domin reminisce about the day they met, and summarize the last ten years of world history as shaped by the new worldwide robot-based economy. Helena meets Dr Gall's new robot experiment, Radius, and Dr Gall describes his experimental robotess, Robot Helena. In secret, Helena burns the secret formula required to create robots. All the characters are present when they hear the news that the entire robot population of the world is revolting against their human masters.
Act TwoRobot forces lay siege to the factory. Helena reveals she has burnt the formula. The characters lament the end of civilization. Robots storm the factory and kill all the characters except for Alquist.
Act ThreeYears have passed and all humans have been killed by the robot government except for Alquist, who has been ordered to recreate the formula to make robots. Because he is not a scientist, he has not made any progress. Officials from the robot government approach Alquist and first order and then beg him to complete the formula. Robots Primus and Helena fall in love, and Alquist realizes they are the robot Adam and Eve.
*
Karel Čapek*
War with the Newts*
General information on the play, including a plot summary and photographs from various historical productions
*
R. U. R. in Czech from
Project Gutenberg
