Title: R.U.R.

Author: Karel Capek

Year: 1920

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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._

( _Enter_ Helena. _Exit_ Marius R.)

Helena** They make me feel so strange.

( _Enter_ Sulla L. _She crosses and stands_ C., _facing_ Helena, _who is still sitting in the couch._ )

Domin** ( _To_ Sulla, _laughing_ ) Sulla is a Robot, best grade.

Sulla** Please sit down. (Helena _sits on couch._ ) Did you have a pleasant crossing? ( _Fixes her hair._ )

Helena** ( _Stopping_ Marius) No! No!

Domin** Marius, tell Miss Glory what you are? ( _Turns to_ **Helena.**)

Marius** ( _To_ Helena) Marius, the Robot.

( _From_ R. _enter_ Dr. Gall, Dr. Fabry, Alquist _and_ **Dr. Hallemeier** All _act formal --conscious._ All _click heels as introduced._ )

( _On the line, "Sit down, please," all_ Six Men _try to find her a chair at once._ Helena _goes for the chair at the extreme_ L. Domin _takes the chair at front of desk, places it in the_ C. _of stage._ Hallemeier _gets chair at_ Sulla's _typewriter and places it to_ R. _of chair at_ C. Busman _gets armchair from extreme_ R., _but by now_ Helena _has sat in_ Domin's _preferred chair, at_ C. All _sit except_ **Domin** Busman _at_ R. _in armchair._ Hallemeier R. _of_ **Helena** Fabry _in swivel chair back of desk._ )

( _All together_ )

( _WARN Curtain._ )

( _Enter_ Busman, Gall _and_ Hallemeier _in kitchen aprons_ , Fabry _with a bouquet and_ Alquist _with a napkin under his arm._ )

_THE CURTAIN FALLS QUICKLY_

ACT TWO

Scene: Helena's _drawing room. Ten years later. The skeleton framework of Act I is still used. Tall windows put in back instead of Act I windows. Steel shutters for these windows. Where the green cabinet of Act I at Left has stood is a door_ , L.2, _leading to the outside. Where the cabinet stood at Right, a fireplace is placed. The tall open hallway_ R.C. _of Act I is blocked up with a flat piece. The doors at Right and Left_ 1 _have been changed to those of a drawing room. Door at Right leads to_ Helena's _bedroom. Door at Left_ 1 _leads to library._

_The furniture consists of a reading table at Left Center covered with magazines. A chair to the Left of table. In front of table is an armchair covered in chintz. A couch Right Center and back of it is a small table with books and book-ends. On this table a small reading lamp. At Right between doorway and fireplace is a small table. There is a work-basket upon it, with pincushion, needles, etc. Down stage at Right and facing the couch is another armchair used by_ Alquist. _To the Left of fireplace is a straight-backed chair. Upstage at Left near the_ L.2 _door to the outside is a writing desk. There is a lamp upon it, writing paper, etc., a telephone and binoculars._

_The walls of the room have been covered with silk to the height of seven feet. This is done_ _in small flats to fit the different spaces and are in place against the permanent set. The two French windows open into the room. At the rise they are open. There is a balcony beyond looking over the harbor. The same telegraph wires and poles from Act I are again visible through the window. The windows are trimmed with gray lace curtains. Binoculars on desk up stage by television._

_It is about nine in the morning and SUNLIGHT streams into the room through the open windows._ Domin _opens the door_ L.2; _tiptoes in. He carries a potted plant. He beckons the_ Others _to follow him, and_ Hallemeier _and_ Fabry _enter, both carrying a potted plant._ Domin _places flowers on the library table and goes to Right and looks toward_ Helena's _bedroom_ R.

Dr. Gall** But every Robot after he has had an attack--it's a strict order.

( _WARN Curtain._ )

( _The factory WHISTLE blows._ Mob _VOICES start._ )

(Helena _clings to_ Domin. Fabry _and_ Gall _close the steel shutters on window_ C. Busman _hurries to window and looks through the shutters. The Curtain falls quickly with_ Helena _in_ Domin's _arms. The WHISTLE blows until the Curtain is down._ )

_CURTAIN_

ACT THREE

Scene: Helena's _drawing-room as before. The room is dark and gray. The steel shutters which are outside are still closed as at the end of Act II._ Alquist _is sitting in chair down stage at extreme_ R. Domin _comes into the room_ , L.2. ( _Subdued voices._ ) Dr. Gall _is looking out of the window at Center. He is seated in a chair._

Dr. Gall** Well?

Dr. Gall ( _Pause_ ) The first encounter.

(Helena _enters_ L.1.)

( _WARN Curtain._ )

_CURTAIN_

EPILOGUE

Scene: _The epilogue setting is the same as used in Act I. Instead of it being_ Domin's _office, it is now become a laboratory for_ Alquist. _A big chair facing up stage, down Right. A desk laden with books at Right Center. A chair at the desk. At Left Center is a white enamel table containing test tubes, glass bottles, and a microscope on downstage table. A door down_ L. _A door down_ R., _leading into dissecting room._

( _WARN Curtain._ )

_CURTAIN_