A.I. Didn't Kill Theatre 70 Years Ago, And It Isn't Going To Now
It is no secret that the rise of artificial intelligence in recent years has brought anxiety to artists. Generative technology can now produce its version of songs, scripts, images, and essays. The question many in the performing arts are asking is whether this moment is different; whether something essential is at risk.
History suggests otherwise.
In a 1956 issue of Theatre Arts magazine, an article titled “Art vs. Assembly Line” expressed a remarkably similar concern. The writer described a new machine called Datatron:
"We find ourselves remarkably un-reassured by the assurance offered by the Burroughs Corporation ElectroData Division about its electronic "brain," which has been put to writing songs. This is a machine which is alleged to be capable of grinding out ten billion tunes without human intervention. It is called Datatron and its song-writing ability is based on the theory that American popular songs are strictly codified, involving a rigid pattern of notes, specified cadences borrowed from the classics, a thirty-two-measure form and other factors."
Datatron isn't the newest A.I. bot, it's actually one of the oldest! This article, printed beside an advertisement for Stella Adler's training course and Uta Hagen’s acting studio, was familiar to the posts we see while scrolling on social media today. The fear of technology infiltrating the arts is not new. For the past seventy years the performing arts have been battling technology advancements.
And yet theatre did not disappear in 1956. It did not vanish with the rapid expansion of television. It did not collapse under streaming platforms. It continues.
The article went on to describe the machine’s process:
"The machine is ready to compose when these factors are incorporated into a formula which substitutes numbers for notes and equations for tempo. A random number (your automobile registration or Irving Berlin's birthday will do) introduced from a keyboard sets off a digital chain reaction in which the machine picks off a series of coded numbers and matches them against acceptable musical criteria, which it "learned" in advance."
At first glance it seems like a magic trick. Today’s large language models function on an even more advanced scale with a formula of pattern recognition, stored data, predictive output. But theatre is not an efficiency exercise. It is a live exchange between people. It requires presence, vulnerability, and response in real time. That shared energy cannot be automated.
(continued below "Theatre Near You")
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The 1956 article, “Art vs. Assembly Line,” concluded with offering reassurance, though not entirely convincingly. It also poked fun at a future where poor quality shows would flood the stage:
“'But,' says Burroughs, 'No computer will ever possess the aesthetic gifts which are responsible for art.' As we say, this isn't much reassurance, considering the artistic level of the American popular song. And we dread the day when playwrights, who have been suffering all the formulaic drudgery that Datatron can do for them in a flick of a second, discover this machine. We foresee a season in which Grandma's Diary will open twice every week."
It seems as though a concern in the 1950s was similar to what we see now. A burnout amongst creatives could mean “outsourcing” to technology. Here is how I think we need to approach this problem: find the joy in creating while also allowing technology to assist us in some of the mundane.
Although in the performing arts we love to make the audience happy, we aren't meant to be salespeople. Maybe technology can help with marketing copy, ticketing systems, budgeting, and administrative tasks that often drain our creative energy. In that sense, tools can serve artists rather than replace them.
Theatre is not an efficiency exercise. It is a live exchange between people. It requires presence, vulnerability, and response in real time. That shared energy cannot be automated.
I have always told my actors if you're having fun up there your energy will translate and the audience will be entertained. That energy is something that A.I. cannot replicate. That human to human transmission is the foundation of theatre. It is what has sustained the art form through radio, film, television, streaming, and now artificial intelligence.
The question is not whether technology will continue to evolve. It will. The question is whether we remember what theatre has always been: not a product generated at scale, but a moment shared in a room.
Video Spotlight
We love this great solo acting exercise. Check it out from Acting Career Center on Youtube!
Lyrics We Love
from “There's A Fine, Fine Line” - Avenue Q
Open Scene of the Month
*screenshot this and send to your favorite scene partner*
A: Where did you get that?
B: It was in there.
A: I never saw it before.
B: You must have.
A: No... I’m certain.
B: You mean all this time you’ve never seen it?
A: I can’t recall.
B: I wonder?
A: How did it get there?
B: How do you suppose?
A: You can't believe...
B: Why not? Why is it so strange?
A: Well it's too ridiculous... it’s insane.
B: Is it?
A: Of course it is. I've never heard of anything like that in my life.
B: Perhaps not.
A: What does that mean?
B: I think we’d better have a little talk.
A: Where are you going?
B: Where do you think?
At CoCreated we love a good open scene! An open scene gives us the opportunity to fill in the who, what, when, where, and why of the story. It can come to life in so many different ways depending on the actors involved.
We recommend finding a scene partner (or two, with person C having the extra challenge of being in the scene with no lines!) and reading the script aloud together. Then determine the given circumstances and try reading it again. See what happens after a few run-throughs, adding in some blocking and pantomime. Have fun and don't forget the power of a dramatic pause!
CoCreated Is Committed to Strengthening The Local Theatre Community
While I recognize the vast amount of theatre in Central Oregon, I have decided to bring my passion for community to life in the form of drama clubs for all ages. Drama club brings the education side of this art form downstage center. We want to help build a foundation for our students to prepare them for performance opportunities.
If you were to pop into any one of our drama clubs, whether it's for ages 4-6 or 75-100, you will see us using exercises from The Viewpoints, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, and more. Drama club is the place where our imagination can run wild! We practice and play in the world of storytelling without the pressure of memorizing a script or blocking. CoCreated partners with Bend Parks and Rec for our students ages 4-15. We also host The Drama Gym, which is drama club for older teens and adults (16+) and we offer private classes for our homeschool, charter schools, and assisted living partnerships.
Because performing is an important piece of this art form, the drama club classes present a collaborative showcase in the fall and spring. Follow us on social media if you would like to be part of what we are doing locally!
