The Uncanny Valley

What do we gain in our quest for immortality? What might we lose? Is technological progress the product of free will, or a Faustian bargain? Francesca Talenti imaginatively explores these questions in The Uncanny Valley, a new play for two humans and one humanoid robot.

In The Uncanny Valley, young Edwin agrees to participate in a study run by the mysterious Professor Southcott in order to escape a destructive digital doppelganger. The contract Edwin signs promises him wealth and a clean slate; in exchange, he must upload his mind into Dummy, a robot capable of mirroring Edwin’s being. This new multimedia play is a horrifying yet humorous exploration of the fragility of the human soul.