R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)

_R. U. R._ (ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) _A Fantastic Melodrama in Three Acts and an Epilogue_ _By Karel Capek_ _English version by Paul Selver and Nigel Playfair_

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Samuel French, Inc. Copyright ©, 1923, by Doubleday, Page and Company _ALL RIGHTS RESERVED_ _CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that R. U. R. is subject to a royalty. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, the British Commonwealth, including Canada, and all other countries of the Copyright Union. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion pictures, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, television, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. In its present form the play is dedicated to the reading public only._ _R. U. R. may be given stage presentation by amateurs upon payment of a royalty of Thirty-five Dollars for the first performance, and Twenty-five Dollars for each additional performance, payable one week before the date when the play is given, to Samuel French, Inc., at 45 West 25th Street, New York, N. Y. 10010, or at 7623 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Calif. 90046, or to Samuel French (Canada), Ltd., 80 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1P1._ _Royalty of the required amount must be paid whether the play is presented for charity or gain and whether or not admission is charged._ _Stock royalty quoted on application to Samuel French, Inc._ _For all other rights than those stipulated above, apply to Samuel French, Inc._ _Particular emphasis is laid on the question of amateur or professional readings, permission and terms for which must be secured in writing from Samuel French, Inc._ _Copying from this book in whole or in part is strictly forbidden by law, and the right of performance is not transferable._ _Whenever the play is produced the following notice must appear on all programs, printing and advertising for the play: “Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.”_ _Due authorship credit must be given on all programs, printing and advertising for the play._ Anyone presenting the play shall not commit or authorize any act or omission by which the copyright of the play or the right to copyright same may be impaired. No changes shall be made in the play for the purpose of your production unless authorized in writing. The publication of this play does not imply that it is necessarily available for performance by amateurs or professionals. Amateurs and professionals considering a production are strongly advised in their own interests to apply to Samuel French, Inc., for consent before starting rehearsals, advertising, or booking a theatre or hall. Printed in U.S.A. ISBN 0 573 61497 0 R. U. R. STORY OF THE PLAY The play is laid on an island somewhere on our planet, and on this island is the central office of the factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots. “Robot” is a Czech word meaning “worker.” When the play opens, a few decades beyond the present day, the factory had turned out already, following a secret formula, hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of manufactured workmen, living automats, without souls, desires or feelings. They are high-powered laborers, good for nothing but work. There are two grades, the unskilled and the skilled, and especially trained workmen are furnished on request. When Helena Glory, president of the Humanitarian League, comes to ascertain what can be done to improve the condition of those overspecialized creatures, Harry Domin, the general manager of the factory, captures her heart and hand in the speediest courting on record in our theatre. The last two acts take place ten years later. Due to the desire of Helena to have the Robots more like human beings, Dr. Gall, the head of the physiological and experimental departments, has secretly changed the formula, and while he has partially humanized only a few hundreds, there are enough to make ringleaders, and a world revolt of robots is under way. This revolution is easily accomplished, as robots have long since been used when needed as soldiers and the robots far outnumber human beings. The rest of the play is magnificent melodrama, superbly portrayed, with the handful of human beings at bay while the unseen myriads of their own robots close in on them. The final scene is like Dunsany on a mammoth scale. Then comes the epilogue, in which Alquist, the company’s builder, is not only the only human being on the island, but also the only one left on earth. The robots have destroyed the rest of mankind. They spared his life because he was a worker. And he is spending his days unceasingly endeavoring to discover and reconstruct the lost formula. The robots are doomed. They saved the wrong man. They should have spared the company’s physicist. The robots know that their bodies will wear out in time and there will be no new multitudes of robots to replace them. But Alquist discovers two humanized robots, a young man and young woman, who have a bit of Adam and Eve in them, and the audience perceives that mankind is about to start afresh. Nature has won out, after all. The cast of the Theatre Guild Production as originally presented at the Garrick Theatre, New York: R. U. R. (ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) _By_ KAREL CAPEK English version by Paul Selver and Nigel Playfair Staged by Philip Moeller Settings and Costumes by Lee Simonson CHARACTERS (in order of appearance) HARRY DOMIN, _General Manager of Rossum’s Universal Robots_ _Basil Sydney_ SULLA, _a Robotess_ _Mary Bonestell_ MARIUS, _a Robot_ _Myrtland LaVarre_ HELENA GLORY _Kathlene MacDonell_ DR. GALL, _head of the Physiological and Experimental Department of R. U. R._ _William Devereaux_ MR. FABRY, _Engineer General, Technical Controller of R. U. R._ _John Anthony_ DR. HALLEMEIER, _head of the Institute for Psychological Training of Robots_ _Moffat Johnston_ MR. ALQUIST, _Architect, head of the Works Department of R. U. R._ _Louis Calvert_ CONSUL BUSMAN, _General Manager of R. U. R._ _Henry Travers_ NANA _Helen Westly_ RADIUS, _a Robot_ _John Rutherford_ HELENA, _a Robotess_ _Mary Hone_ PRIMUS, _a Robot_ _John Roche_ A SERVANT _Frederick Mark_ FIRST ROBOT _Domis Plugge_ SECOND ROBOT _Richard Coolidge_ THIRD ROBOT _Bernard Savage_ ACT I Central Office of the Factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots ACT II HELENA’S Drawing Room--Ten years later. Morning ACT III The same. Afternoon EPILOGUE A Laboratory. One year later Place: An Island. Time: The Future. DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS DOMIN: _A handsome man of 35. Forceful, efficient and humorous at times._ SULLA: _A pathetic figure. Young, pretty and attractive._ MARIUS: _A young Robot, superior to the general run of his kind. Dressed in modern clothes._ HELENA GLORY: _A vital, sympathetic, handsome girl of 21._ DR. GALL: _A tall, distinguished scientist of 50._ MR. FABRY: _A forceful, competent engineer of 40._ HALLEMEIER: _An impressive man of 40. Bald head and beard._ ALQUIST: _A stout, kindly old man of 60._ NANA: _A tall, acidulous woman of 40._ RADIUS: _A tall, forceful Robot._ HELENA: _A radiant young woman of 20._ PRIMUS: _A good-looking young Robot._ NOTE: _All the Robots wear expressionless faces and move with absolute mechanical precision, with the exception of_ SULLA, HELENA _and_ PRIMUS, _who convey a touch of humanity._ R. U. R. ACT ONE SCENE: _Central office of the factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots. Entrance R. down Right. The windows on the back wall look out on the endless roads of factory buildings. Door L. down Left. On the Left wall large maps showing steamship and railroad routes. On the Right wall are fastened printed placards. (“Robots cheapest Labor,” etc.) In contrast to these wall fittings, the floor is covered with splendid Turkish carpet, a couch R.C. A book shelf containing bottles of wine and spirits, instead of books._ _DOMIN is sitting at his desk at Left, dictating. SULLA is at the typewriter upstage against the wall. There is a leather couch with arms Right Center. At the extreme Right an armchair. At extreme Left a chair. There is also a chair in front of DOMIN’S desk. Two green cabinets across the upstage corners of the room complete the furniture. DOMIN’S desk is placed up and down stage facing Right._ _Seen through the windows which run to the heights of the room are rows of factory chimneys, telegraph poles and wires. There is a general passageway or hallway upstage at the Right Center which leads to the warehouse. The ROBOTS are brought into the office through this entrance._ DOMIN. (_Dictating_) Ready? SULLA. Yes. DOMIN. To E. M. McVicker & Co., Southampton, England. “We undertake no guarantee for goods damaged in transit. As soon as the consignment was taken on board we drew your captain’s attention to the fact that the vessel was unsuitable for the transportation of Robots; and we are therefore not responsible for spoiled freight. We beg to remain, for Rossum’s Universal Robots, yours truly.” (_SULLA types the lines._) Ready? SULLA. Yes. DOMIN. Another letter. To the E. B. Huysen Agency, New York, U.S.A. “We beg to acknowledge receipt of order for five thousand Robots. As you are sending your own vessel, please dispatch as cargo equal quantities of soft and hard coal for R.U.R., the same to be credited as part payment (_BUZZER_) of the amount due us.” (_Answering phone_) Hello! This is the central office. Yes, certainly. Well, send them a wire. Good. (_Rises_) “We beg to remain, for Rossum’s Universal Robots, yours very truly.” Ready? SULLA. Yes. DOMIN. (_Answering small portable phone_) Hello! Yes. No. All right. (_Standing back of desk, punching plug machine and buttons_) Another letter. Freidrichswerks, Hamburg, Germany. “We beg to acknowledge receipt of order for fifteen thousand Robots.” (_Enter MARIUS R._) Well, what is it? MARIUS. There’s a lady, sir, asking to see you. DOMIN. A lady? Who is she? MARIUS. I don’t know, sir. She brings this card of introduction. DOMIN. (_Reading card_) Ah, from President Glory. Ask her to come in-- (_To SULLA. Crossing up to her desk, then back to his own_) Where did I leave off? SULLA. “We beg to acknowledge receipt of order for fifteen thousand Robots.” DOMIN. Fifteen thousand. Fifteen thousand. MARIUS. (_At door R._) Please step this way. (_Enter HELENA. Exit MARIUS R._) HELENA. (_Crossing to desk_) How do you do? DOMIN. How do you do? What can I do for you? HELENA. You are Mr. Domin, the General Manager? DOMIN. I am. HELENA. I have come-- DOMIN. With President Glory’s card. That is quite sufficient. HELENA. President Glory is my father. I am Helena Glory. DOMIN. Please sit down. Sulla, you may go. (_Exit SULLA L. Sitting down