Today's performance took place in the former gymnasium in the Youth Palace adapted to the performance.
The second day brought additional emotions. The humanoid thing is touching for many reasons. Is this not a threat for us really? Can we deal with these "animated" machines? Do we know how to act now and behave in their company?
The performance posed many questions and did not provide answers to all of them.
Uncanny Valley
“We usually think of robots as working machines, efficient and precise task performers. The ones we meet in German industry tend to have little human resemblance to avoid emotional complications. Unlike in Asia, where humanoid robots have been in development for some time, for example to work as caregivers or sexual partners. Our external resemblance to human beings makes it easier for us to accept machines. And yet, if a machine looks too much like a human being, we begin to feel distrust: what is a human, what is a machine? Japanese robotics researchers refer to this strange resemblance as "uncanny valley".
While working on his new play, Stefan Kaegi collaborated for the first time with [a German] writer and playwright: Thomas Melle allowed an animatronic copy of himself to be made. This humanoid here takes the place of the author and asks the questions: what does it mean for the original when a copy takes its place? Can the original get to know itself better through the electronic version of itself? Do the copy and its original compete or are they helping each other? "
Note: There was only a humanoid on stage! If there was a man running it somewhere hidden, the feeling that the machine was operating on its own was electrifying and disturbing!
After the performance, it was possible to see closely that it was ONLY a mashine!
