The Feast to Present AI-Infused Adaptation of THE ADDING MACHINE

The Feast (formerly The Williams Project) will present its fall production of The Adding Machine: A Cyborg Morality Play by Elmer Rice and Generative AI. This production will incorporate artificial intelligence into its artistry, adapting Elmer Rice’s century-old classic for a new generation. It will show September 12 - October 6 2024 at The Lee Center for the Arts, as part of a residency with Seattle University. This is The Feast’s first production under its new name, mission, and vision. It comes off the heels of last summer’s Oscar Wilde mashup Champagne + Sodomy, and their 2023 Seattle premiere of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window in collaboration with Intiman Theatre. 

ABOUT THE PLAY

Zero loses their job to a machine, so they kill their boss. They are then sent on a hallucinatory journey through internet culture, the legal system, the underworld, and the future as they struggle to understand their value. 

Written one hundred years ago by Elmer Rice, The Adding Machine is an absurdist parable about automation, labor, exploitation, and the search for meaning. A century later, The Feast is reinventing this classic work in a new age of mechanical evolution as artificial intelligence encroaches on creative work. In this multimedia theatre event, both humans and AIs will write, act, direct, and design the play in real time, creating a revolutionary work of “cyborg theatre.” Can the robots help us fall in love? Feel the divine? See beauty? Defy your boss, your patriarch, your keeper, and find out. 

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

“One hundred years ago, Elmer Rice wrote The Adding Machine responding to automation and how it affected workers,” Says Ryan Purcell, the Artistic Director of The Feast “AI will existentially shift our understanding of creativity, humanity, and technology. As you watch the play, you’ll never quite know whether the text you’re reading was written by Elmer Rice or by an AI.”

“AI will be part of every artistic practice in the show,” says Director Ryan Purcell. “Scenic design, costume design, projection design, and so much more will be created in collaboration with AI. These choices will reveal the blurred lines between human ingenuity and machine intelligence.”

This production aligns with The Feast’s mission, which centers on living wages for artists. “Artificial Intelligence, when wielded by those seeking a profit, can both undermine fair labor for artists and create some pretty mediocre art. We saw this play out in last summer’s Hollywood strikes,” Says The Feast’s Communications Manager Jesse Roth. “But these technologies aren’t going away, so we aren’t using AI to shirk labor costs; artists are making the same amount as any other project. It’s not enough for us to experiment with the aesthetics of AI, we are seeking to create ways to ethically create art alongside AI.” 

The production will take place at the Lee Center as part of a partnership with Seattle University. “Bringing The Feast to the Lee Center for the Arts aligns perfectly with the values we uphold at the Seattle University Theatre Program,” says Janet Hayatshahi, Director of the Theatre Program. “One of the tenets of our theatre program is creating firsthand opportunities for our students to engage with professional theatre companies in the community. This time, the professional company is coming to us and providing our students paid apprenticeships and a chance to work with local artists.”  

Tickets go on sale August 1st. The Feast is committed to offering pay-what-you-can tickets for every performance. 
 

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