Dramaturgy as Ethical Inquiry: Exploring Responsible Innovation through Sci-Fi Theatre

Abstract

The connection between dramaturgy, emerging technology, and ethics is deep, as various plays are built around the societal and ethical tensions provoked by technological innovation. Although science-fiction literature has often been used to discuss the ethical dimensions of technology, little attention has been given to how the methods playwrights use to construct stories, or the analytical tools theatre practitioners apply to unlock meaning, could themselves inform the discussion of ethical questions raised by technological advancement within a speculative ethical design framework. In this presentation, we explore the relationship between theatrical plays, emerging technologies, and Responsible Innovation (RI), drawing on two cases from classic and contemporary theatre:

 I) R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) (1920) by Karel Čapek, which introduced the term “robot,” tells the story of artificial workers created to increase productivity and free humans from labour. As these beings develop emotions and intelligence, they ultimately revolt against their creators, bringing about humanity’s extinction. 

 II) The Nether (2013) by Jennifer Haley imagines a future where users can enact forbidden desires in virtual worlds. The play examines identity, accountability, and the moral boundaries of digital environments, exploring how freedom in digital spaces can blur ethical responsibility. 

We also discuss how dramaturgical analysis methods may offer new approaches to RI and suggest how such methods could benefit technology researchers engaging with the ethical and societal implications of emerging technologies.