One of the Greatest Dilemmas of Our Times Is Explored in Immersive Dance

Mrs. Zero (Monica Blaze Leavitt) and Mr. Zero (Johnny Blaze Leavitt) are from the 20s, but not the ones we’re experiencing now. They hail from the “roaring” 20s of 100 years ago, and are now marveling at the technological advances made in between. Well, Mrs. Zero is marveling…her husband is recoiling in horror.

The duo are hosts to AI vs. Humanity: The Experience at the Paradise Factory Theatre, presented by Ripple Effect Artists, and it’s an exquisite—and important—illustration of this very moment in time, when humanity itself is at a crossroads.

Mrs. Zero, dressed in bright red with a delightful accent recalling Audrey of Little Shop of Horrors fame, spent time with the audience before the show, asking each one of us our names and what we did; it was a fun icebreaker that would enhance and inform the experience of the performance to come. Women in white dresses followed, handing each of us a flower, which I playfully tucked behind my ear (something robots rarely do, by the way). We soon learned that the women — Emily Hart Herbert, Franca Rosenblatt, Francesca Savone, and Skye Todaro—were dancers who represented humanity. Their counterparts were the “robots”—Andrew Fitzpatrick, Eric Jaison, Trinity Smith, and Fiona Tsang. These were dressed in dark shirts and pants, with dark face masks under blank staring eyes, hiding any notion of human expression. The robots were “dancers” as well, and they were impeccably choreographed as they went about their function, in this case stacking pieces of sound-proofing foam, to the fitting sounds of Daft Punk. Mrs. Zero was enthused by the robot performance, as her initial thoughts suggested she would be, while her partner was so disturbed he continuously brought the automaton dances to a halt, protesting what he perceived as a palpable threat to humanity itself.

The “humans”, in contrast, performed with full emotion and exquisite grace, their eyes and smiles conveying the joy of movement, and of creativity. In the most powerful moment, two of the dancers made eye contact from across the floor, their smiles widening with elation as they connected on a deeper level. The other two human dancers followed suit, pairing ecstatically, and demonstrating the love and aliveness that their efficient but emotionless robot counterparts could never feel.

In between the dance performances we were treated to videos that helped support the case for the defense of humanity. These included a speech on the nature of love by the legendary Alan Watts; and a moving time-lapse by Ryan Anthony Fernandez, depicting moments of connection and compassion. Author Amie McNee was shown in an excerpt from her Ted Talk, “The Case for Making Art When the World Is on Fire.” She explained in her presentation that she had heard from so many artists who felt guilty focusing on creation when there was so much pain in the world.

“What I need all of us to realize today is that we need to be ‘at the piano’ making our art more than ever as we navigate these incredibly difficult things.”

The Leavitts provided deft comedic improv between the presentations, while making profound points in the case of humanity vs. technology. Mrs. Zero argued that tech was making life so much easier for the hard-working among us (microwaved food being exhibit A). Mr. Zero, in contrast, frowned with disgust at the rise of soulless technology. He noted that the word “robot” originates from the Czech word “robota”, meaning “forced labor” or “drudgery”. Humorously condemning the advent of “Chat Gibetah”, he warned of a future where Artificial Intelligence was no longer a tool for humans, but a replacement for them. (And that future is now—AI is already erasing jobs and creating mass layoffs by the millions). To their credit the Leavitt’s debate never became too heavy-handed; it was delivered with lightness and humor, while still driving the pros and cons home.

In the finale, the humans and robots united in dance, with one side abandoning their former essence to join the other. Without spoiling which, let’s see if reality follows suit.

AI vs. Humanity: The Experience is directed by Ripple Effects founder Jessie Fahay, with assistant direction from Emily Araújo and Olivia Armon; choreography is by Fahay, Rebecca Frazier and Kristen Mangione.