Sage Theatre to Present RESET, AI Theatre Production

Four figures wake up in an isolated room, with no memory of how they arrived. Each holds a single, fragmented clue—just out of reach. As they begin to share what little they know, a chilling realization emerges: the real question is not who they are, but what they are. Because only one of them is human, and in an AI-driven world, being human can be dangerous. reset by Bruce Barton, presented by Sage Theatre, in association with Vertical City, runs from March 18 - 22, 2026 at Contemporary Calgary. 

“We've been developing this project in some capacity for 8 years, and yet somehow we're completely addressing the conversations of our AI-filled current moment! Our story addresses our humanity by questioning it at every step; what about our experiences, our responses, make us human?” said Jason Mehmel, Sage Theatre's Artistic Director. 

“This production is a highlight of the craft of acting, stripped down to the fine-tuned artistic impulses of some of Calgary's best actors. The details of humanity might show up in the smallest reaction; we want our audience to be watching closely. The stories that lurk underneath these characters are also not simply sci-fi tropes, but lyrical, human moments. To allow for that, we're collaborating with filmmaker Emil Agopian, who captures these characters and broadcasts to screens allowing the audience to keep a close eye on all four characters, constantly.”

reset, written by Bruce Barton and created in association with Vertical City, is an intimate, immersive theatre experience where the audience becomes part of the investigation. Each performance unfolds as a high-stakes mystery that changes nightly—because even the actors don't know the answer when the show begins.

“I began dreaming about this project almost a decade ago, and Jason has been my creative companion at every step of the journey. In that time, the state and significance of Artificial Intelligence have evolved almost unrecognizably. Remarkably, however (and fortunately for us), the ideas we're navigating have never been more relevant and urgent. We hope audiences will encounter a world that is both strange and familiar—much like the headlines they consume every day,” added Writer and Director Bruce Barton, who is also the Co-Director of Vertical City.

Set inside Contemporary Calgary, this limited five-night run invites audiences into a suspenseful, close-quarters encounter with questions of identity, technology, and what it means to be human in an increasingly artificial world.