San Diego Rep’s new offering ‘Uncanny Valley’ raises issues

If you could “live” another 200 years by having your lifetime of memories and experiences downloaded into a life-like robot when near death, would you do it?

If it was your loved one, would you accept the robot into your life or reject it? What legal rights should such a “being” be granted?

These are among the ethical and philosophical questions posed by San Diego Repertory Theatre’s superbly acted and well-written “Uncanny Valley,” which during its rolling world premiere can be seen through May 10 in the Lyceum Space at Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego.

The two-person cast of Rosina Reynolds as Claire, a neuroscientist, and Nick Cagle as Julian, the robot, are wonderful. For a good portion of the one-act show — set 40 years into the future, around 2055 — Julian is learning how to move, think and act like a human, starting with his first appearance on the stage when only his head and shoulders are visible. As the play progresses, Cagle gains movement as other body parts, first one arm, then another, are added until Julian is finally a fully-limbed walking being.

Cagle successfully masters his limited and initially jerky movements to believably imitate those of an animatronic figure. His facial expressions are like frozen snapshots that over time flow together smoother.

Initially, he does not blink unless commanded to do so and says much with just his eyes and other facial movements as Julian learns how to appear human-like. Throughout the play as Julian “grows,” Cagle shows the development, from stiff finger movements that emphasize every joint to his eventual ability to dance around the stage. He initially has no verbal filters, but as he develops human attributes such as empathy, joke comprehension and sarcasm, they become part of his communication tools along with all the vocabulary and historical data downloaded into him.

But it is not just Cagle’s impressive and challenging physical acting that captures the audience’s attention. He makes Julian a sympathetic figure, which in turn leads to additional complications as the play nears its dramatic conclusion after the memories of his benefactor are also downloaded into him so that he can become the “person” he was created to be.

Reynolds is likewise well-cast as a neuroscientist who has devoted her lifetime of work into creating a non-biological being. While she starts out with a very matter-of-fact attitude, as Julian questions Claire about her personal life, the emotional, vulnerable and very hurt Claire bubbles to the surface. She too becomes a sympathetic figure due to the fine line Reynolds walks. Even though Claire must be professionally detached, as Julian becomes more life-like she has to cut the proverbial apron strings with her “child.” The emotion-fueled separation cannot help but pull on the audiences’ heartstrings.

While science-driven Claire has previously seen no downside to her decades-long work, once she sees the fully-developed Julian, unintended consequences come to light, ones Claire cannot deny in the play’s climatic conclusion.

Through the play and additional materials presented in its program, the audience is left to ponder the ethnical nature of how far science should go to make people immortal. In addition, it addresses the “uncanny valley” — humans’ “strange revulsion toward things that appear nearly human, but not quite right. This revulsion usually involves robots, but can also include computer animations and some medical conditions,” according to information in the program.

“Uncanny Valley” can be seen in matinee and evening performances on Wednesdays to Sundays through May 10 at the Lyceum Space, 79 Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego. Tickets are $31 to $75, with student, military, senior and group discounts available. To purchase call 619-544-1000 or go to www.sdrep.org.

Four hours of free parking in the Horton Plaza Garage is offered with theater validation. There are also “surround events” before and after select performances. For details, go to www.sdrep.org.