SPOILER WARNING
Can a robot fall in love? It couldn’t truly be possible, right? “Maybe Happy Ending” suggests otherwise. The musical recently hit the Broadway scene on Nov. 12, at the Belasco Theater in New York City, New York. It stars “Glee” cast member Darren Criss as a Helperbot named Oliver and Broadway actress Helen J. Shen as a Helperbot named Claire.
Lasting about two hours, the play has two acts: Act 1 is called “The Ending” and Act 2 is called “The Happy Ending.” “Maybe Happy Ending” dazzles in presentation. The stage changes are smooth, using two small sliding rooms that move on and off the stage during scenes. Creators Will Aronson and Hue Park were used screens and projectors during more technical scenes like flashbacks and turntable sequences. The music perfectly depicts the emotion, conveying both comedic and serious tones; it is a show to be experienced.
The musical takes place not too far into the future since artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly popular and is maturing rapidly. The musical adds a few years of progression to the AI world where it has now become normalized to use “Helperbots.” The Helperbots clean, cook and do your homework – it is even noted that there are up to seven new and improved models of the Helperbot. Oliver is a model three Helperbot, and Claire is a model five Helperbot. Both models are seen as obsolete, however, that is not why their respective owners retired them. Revealed in Act 2, it seems as though both Oliver and Claire’s owners had their personal, not superficial, reasons for retiring their beloved robots. Now the two Helperbots reside alone in retired living for other obsolete robots.
Oliver seems content alone with his old records and monthly collection of jazz magazines. He lives waiting for his owner to come and pick him up, which he had promised Oliver he would. He waits for years until one day, there is an eager knock on his door. He reluctantly answers, and a concerned Claire barges through the door. She asks to borrow Oliver’s charger since she is almost out of battery and does not have a suitable charger for her model. A pure and unlikely friendship grows between the two Helperbots as they form a pact for Claire to use Oliver’s charger. Claire ultimately convinces Oliver to go find his owner instead of waiting around for him. They travel to the island Oliver’s owner lives on. Throughout their journey, it seems that their relationship shifts from strictly friends to something more, something romantic.
So, the question stands: Can a robot fall in love? Why wouldn’t it be possible? “Maybe Happy Ending” creatively and originally showcases the love story of two robots. The musical also leaves questions. Does technology have the capacity for qualia? Can a Helperbot experience emotion, know what it is feeling and express it? In Act 2, Oliver and Claire begin to realize they may not have as much time with one another as their mechanical parts begin to wither. They fear the thought of losing one another.
Aronson and Park give human qualities to two very non-human entities. Humans feel love for one another and fear of losing one another, so why wouldn’t a robot? A heart and a hard drive are different, yes. However, is a hard drive better or worse at experiencing or knowing what love is?
