From Al Dente Productions, R.U.R. is Claudia Novack-Jones' English translation of Karel Capek's internationally acclaimed work.

The President's daughter has brought her idealistic rhetoric to the remote island where Rossum's Universal Robots are manufactured. The Central Director makes her his wife, but their contrasting vision proves the catalyst for a robot revolt and the destruction of mankind.

Rossum's Universal Robots was written in 1920, premiered the following year, and saw an English translation in 1923. Further, R.U.R. offers the first use of the word robot, an adaptation of the Czech word for heavy labor or drudgery: robota. In R.U.R., robot refers to an organic being, not the mechanical constructions we think of today.

Director Kobun Kaluza returns to the intimate St. Marks Theater, bringing his fervor for mello-dramatic 20th Century Classics.

Al Dente Productions serves theater that is fresh and a mite raw. Grounded in theatrical heritage Al Dente rebukes the 4th Wall and champions a notion that a radical play is classic. WeÕre inspired to speak up and use theatrical forms as our language.

Karel Capek (1890-1938), born in Bohemia, established himself as an influential twentieth century playwright, known largely for his nineteen - twenties hit plays RossumÕs Universal Robots and From the Life of Insects. Capek was a prominent candidate for the 1936 Nobel Prize.