Universal Robots NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (8)
See it if you are interested in our increasingly technological world and its impact on human life.
Don't see it if you do not like to think and think fast - the dialogue is quick!
See it if you like plays that are intelligent and work on a variety of levels. Needs a bit of pruning, but overall an interesting evening of theatre.
Don't see it if your taste runs from fluff to sit-com style plays.
Critic Reviews (11)
"This is a love story and the play’s surprising center, by design and by virtue of Ms. Cheek’s and Mr. Howard’s standout performances: quiet, intense, funny, affecting… 'Universal Robots' has a cast of 10 performers, immediately impressive in their ease…But the pacing on both page and stage can be plodding, the action convoluted...It seems like a young writer’s script, overstuffed with ideas...It appears to arrive at an ending at least a couple of times before it actually does."
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"Much of the writing is strong, but by comparison with Rogers's excellent 'Honeycomb Trilogy,' the storytelling is less assured, requiring story-theater interjections that slow velocity. It's also difficult to overlook the rather shambolic physical presentation...Gideon Productions shows have always had a hint of the enthusiast-amateur about them...Yet for some, this doesn't matter...'Universal Robots' preselects its audience. Indeed, you may already be programmed to love this show."
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"While the relaxed, slow-moving discussion of ethics and morality in the first act becomes a bit of a soporific, the second act, which moves with breakneck speed, is both provocative and electrifying. The intensity and ease with which the cast of ten play their often multiple roles goes a good way to making this compelling theater."
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"This skillfully portrayed tale is a compelling twist on classic sci-fi tropes and timeless questions about the nature of existence...Overall, 'Universal Robots' is a lovely, often comedic, and equally tragic take on a set of very recognizable circumstances...While fans of sci-fi are sure to get a special kick out of this play, I think anyone who enjoys intimate theatre that asks difficult-to-answer questions will surely get their money’s worth."
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"While everyone and their mother/father can write about faith vs. science, not many artists have the generosity to open up a space where the two can not only co-exist peacefully, but rather complement each other...If the robots of the title suggest sleek, mechanical beings (and it must be said that the play works wonders as pulpy sci-fi), there might not be a more human show playing on any other New York stage."
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"Produced by one of the leading science fiction theater lovers in New York, Gideon Productions, 'Universal Robots' receives a new imagining that feels flimsy and tired...It could easily lose and fine-tune some of the extremely long exposition at the top to reach the intrigue of the robots sooner...The aesthetic felt bland...You hate to compare but you have to...If you saw 'The Honeycomb Trilogy,' be prepared to be disappointed. 'Universal Robots' was lacking that spark you’ve come to expect."
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"Universal Robots' brims with riches. It is funny, moving, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking. It can be enjoyed on many levels, from not-so-simple entertainment to a treatise on humanity. It is filled with throwaway jokes, fascinating characters, and warnings about the future. 'Universal Robots' is not without imperfections. It takes too long to get started...Some actors have not found the exact right calibration in their performances...Otherwise the show is quite well-directed and acted."
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"The slapdash imprecision of Jordana Williams's production would probably have delighted the Capeks...The lack of polish, and sometimes of subtlety, in Rogers's writing never diminishes its seriousness of purpose: The script is philosophic without being pompous. And in addition to strong performances like Cronyn's and Cheek's, there's a fearsomely forceful one, by Jason Howard in the pivotal role of the robot Radius, of a quality that would make any production a major one."
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"Though Čapek's life and corpus provide the intertextual focus, audiences will also be put in mind of the works of writers including Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov, as well as of Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis'...'Universal Robots' combines allegory, allusion, humor, and propulsive storytelling to fashion a sweeping, almost Shakespearean sci-fi experience. Give your robot avatar the day off and go see this production for yourself."
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"While it gets off to a slow start, 'Universal Robots' does a great job establishing the precise political moment of 1920s Czechoslovakia...It strengthens considerably in the second act as it focuses in on a heartbroken Jo and her moral unease with the new direction the robot project has taken...Sci-fi theater is always a challenge, and Rogers succeeds again in creating an innovative, engaging play that will leave you wanting more. It's a fun night out and a philosophical quandary all in one."
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"A bold achievement, giving audiences plenty of food for thought without skimping on the thrills one would expect from an alternate-history tale about a robot apocalypse...The start of the play may not be as accessible for general audiences, but patience is quickly rewarded...An allegorical smorgasbord about war, mortality, and creativity that seems just as relevant today as it does in the story's time period."
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