By: ANJA CHRISTOFFERSEN, SALLY GRINDSTED NIELSEN
Cornell is a play about a meeting between a young woman, Zoey, and a Robotic Helper, Cornell. The play is based on the work of the social psychologist Arthur Aron’s research on experimental generation of interpersonal closeness (i.e. How people fall in love) - http://psp.sagepub.com/content/23/4/363.abstract.
The conversations between Zoey and Cornell are build upon the 36 questions on how to bring people closer together (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/open-gently/201310/36-questions-bring-you-closer-together)
The play takes place in the near future where robots are appearing more and more in the everyday picture. Zoey has been in an accident, which has caused her head trauma and the loss of her short-term memory. She is sitting alone in her room when the doorbell rings. Outside is a package with a Robotic Helper inside. The Robotic Helper has been provided to her on doctor’s orders, as help in her rehabilitation after the accident.
This is the beginning of a special meeting between human and machine – But we should warn you, it is not a love story.
