Cast Set for R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) at City Lit Theater
Performances run May 2 – June 15, 2025.
City Lit Theater will follow up its three Jeff Award wins with its season-closing production of R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS), a world premiere adaptation of the 1920 science-fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek. R.U.R. (ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) introduced the term “robot” and looked ahead to the wonders and dangers of artificial intelligence decades before Arthur C. Clarke imagined HAL 9000 in his 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY or George Lucas gave us STAR WARS’ C3PO and R2D2. “Rossum’s Universal Robots” (“R.U.R.” for short) is a mysterious island factory run by the eccentric scientist Harry Rossum that manufactures artificial human beings. When Helena Glory arrives to advocate for the rights of these machines, a series of events is set into motion that sees Harry and Helena married against the backdrop of a global robot uprising. This “freely adapted” version of R.U.R. by the playwright and director Bo List, adds some perspective from the present, in which AI is now a reality. R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) will open to the press on Sunday, May 11, 2025, following previews from May 2 and play through June 15, 2025.
Executive Artistic Director Brian Pastor, who will direct, announced their cast today. Harry Rossum will be played by Bryan Breau, who has been seen at City Lit as Stan Lee in THE HOUSE OF IDEAS and as the menacing Preacher in THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. Brian Parry, veteran of such iconic roles as King Lear, Richard Nixon, and Willy Loman, has been cast as Rossum’s trusted accountant and financial manager Alquist. Madelyn Loehr, of Redtwist Theatre’s recent TITUS ANDRONICUS and City Lit’s PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, will be Helena Glory. Shawna Tucker, who for City Lit has appeared in Brian Pastor’s adaptation of THIRTEEN DAYS and her own adaptation of THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, is playing Helena’s chaperone Nana.
Cast in the role of Sulla, the robot who sparks an uprising of Rossum’s robots, is Alex George. George’s recent credits include A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING for Black Button Eyes and Ayn Rand’S IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE…. for The Conspirators. Mary Ross has been cast as the chief engineer Dr. Gall. Playing robots, who will have a human appearance more like Disney World animatronics than like C3PO, are Brendan Hutt (Marius), Claudia Sevilla (Tibia), and Sean Kelly (Radius).
The Production Team includes Jeremiah Barr (Scenic Designer), Beth Laske-Miller (Costume Designer), Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer), Meghan X McGrath (Properties Designer), Maureen Yasko (Violence/Intimacy Designer), Jonathan Guillen (Sound Designer/Composer), CJ Day (Assistant Director/Dramaturg) and Hazel Flowers-McCabe (Stage Manager).
Single tickets are priced at $30 for previews and $35 for regular performances and are on sale now at www.citylit.org. Senior prices are $25 for previews and $30 for regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.
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