A B Story at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Et Alia Theater partners with the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art to present an interactive play on the ethics of A.I for first-year engineering students with an entire team of international women artists.

Et Alia Theater has a long history of uplifting the work of international women+. It is no news that they are now presenting Anel Carmona’s A B Story.

In the play, two scientists and long-time friends have created a mode of AI drone bees to help with pollination. A company has hired them to develop the project and holds the rights to their creation. One night, one of them accidentally lets 20 bees out of the colony. The scientists must find them before anyone returns to work the morning after. To do that, they will need the help of Emilia, the night security guard, who has her own aspiration of becoming a scientist.

In this interactive version, the audience will choose which decision the characters will make when they are at a crossroads. The path of this story will be decided by the attendees, creating a unique journey. Will the characters make the most ethical choices, the most convenient, or the one that will make things more interesting? It’s up to them!

The team:

Presented by Et Alia Theater, in partnership with the Cooper Union

Written by Anel Carmona

Facilitated by John Osburn, PhD, Associate Director, The CONNECT Program, Coordinator of Professional Development Workshops and Seminars, the Cooper Union

Directed by Luísa Galatti

Performed by Giorgia Valenti, Ana Moioli, Janet Kilonzo, and Sofia Terceros Arce

Photos by Alexia Haick

Professional Development Workshops and Seminars at the Cooper Union/CONNECT Program

CONNECT is a program of workshops and seminars in communication issues and skills for undergraduate engineering students. Traditionally, engineering emphasizes the mastery of content (accuracy, knowledge, grasp of detail) and intellectual process (scientific method, theory, analysis). Performance emphasizes human behavior in specific situations (vocal, physical, social, professional). CONNECT increases awareness of the behavioral elements of communication while the regular curriculum reinforces the importance of content and intellectual process.

Et Alia Theater is a company founded by and for mujeres internacionales in the cosmopolitan civitatem of New York that uplifts multicultural, women+ centered storytelling in the performing arts. Through teatru, educational opportunities, and community advocacy, Et Alia fosters a supportive collettivo where fellow estrangeiras can come as they are.