{"id":383306,"date":"2025-10-24T16:18:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T20:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=383306"},"modified":"2025-10-27T14:04:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T18:04:56","slug":"flying-vs-smart-and-savvy-doctor-moloch-asks-how-human-can-ai-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/10\/24\/flying-vs-smart-and-savvy-doctor-moloch-asks-how-human-can-ai-get\/","title":{"rendered":"Flying V\u2019s smart and savvy \u2018Doctor Moloch\u2019 asks: How human can AI get?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How do you teach someone to be human? The latest production from Flying V, Carla Milarch<\/strong>\u2019s Doctor Moloch<\/em>, thinks it has an answer: you can\u2019t. Humanity comes from within, says the playwright; it\u2019s either there or it isn\u2019t. The real question is knowing when and how to use one\u2019s own humanity for good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this uncharacteristically straightforward production from a company more frequently known for immersive and \u201cout of the box\u201d experiences, Madeleine Regina<\/strong> nonetheless directs Milarch\u2019s three-hander with gusto and elegance. At its core, Doctor Moloch <\/em>offers a meditation on human empathy, relationships, and trust in the most unlikely, but timely, of avenues: artificial intelligence. In the not-too-distant future \u2014 the year 2029 to be exact \u2014 Silicon Valley tech mogul Mo (Andrew Chi<\/strong>) has nearly perfected the first humanoid AI robot, Doctor Moloch (James Finley<\/strong>). Moloch was designed to advance the medical field with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The trouble is, Doctor Moloch\u2019s bedside manner could use some work. Mo believes he can help Moloch become more empathetic and gentle by hiring Academy Award\u2013winning actress Serena Blaise <\/strong>(Nhea Durousseau<\/strong>), a self-proclaimed expert in human behavior, to teach him. Old-school artistry meets sci-fi thriller in Milarch\u2019s smart and savvy drama. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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James Finley as Doctor Moloch in \u2018Doctor Moloch.\u2019 Photo by JayLee Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As if seen through the AI bot’s own eyes, a luminous molecular backdrop blinks to life as Moloch enters a secure interior setting. Dom Ocampo<\/strong>\u2019s minimalist set design succeeds with the help of Malory Hartman<\/strong>\u2019s lightscape, which effectively captures both the simulated dreamworld of Silicon Valley and the nightmare that lies beyond its reach. Modeled as a conventionally attractive young man dressed in muted khakis, teal, and grey sportswear, Moloch enters the playing space causally but with a touch of artificial poise. Inviting an abundantly skeptical Serena into the room \u2014 she is already entangled in a lawsuit over the use of AI representation in the media \u2014 Mo reveals the extremely lucrative task at hand: 10 million dollars if she succeeds in teaching Moloch to act more like a human. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Costumed simply but with astute attention to character detail by Nyasha Klusmann<\/strong>, each character embodies an archetypal trope in a greater conversation about scientific advancement. Mo is after the money; Serena mourns the loss of human integrity; and, most ironically \u2014 and perhaps most persuasively \u2014 Moloch encapsulates our most significant and most unspoken fears regarding AI: how do we control it? And how much are we willing to risk for it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durousseau\u2019s blas\u00e9 cynicism pairs well with Finley\u2019s cool, considerate altruism, creating a calculated yet deeply intimate tension in this small-scale epic. Durousseau\u2019s take on Serena is refreshingly consistent but somehow muted compared to Finley. Chi\u2019s Mo provides much-needed comic relief but, first and foremost, steers the plot and its many twists and turns. The director seemed to aim for a more stylistic approach to the script. While visually compelling, this approach felt limiting in terms of character payoff. For a script so focused on the meaning of empathy, it\u2019s a little challenging to empathize with the characters themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Andrew Chi (Mo), Nhea Durousseau (Serena Blaise), and James Finley (Doctor Moloch) in \u2018Doctor Moloch.\u2019 Photo by JayLee Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Though hesitant at first, Serena and Moloch form an unexpected bond over the course of Milarch\u2019s play. Durousseau and Finley\u2019s chemistry was best exemplified when Moloch supported Serena over the loss of her son to addiction. Despite their emerging sense of trust and friendship, Moloch, however, is bound by the rigidity of Azimov\u2019s laws (a plot device borrowed from 1940s science fiction author Isaac Asimov,<\/strong> who articulates these laws in several of his stories). According to Asimov’s Laws: 1) a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Yet, there is a fourth law, unbeknownst to anyone except the manufacturer: A robot may not divulge information that could jeopardize its owner\u2019s market cap. In obeying each of these laws, Moloch ensures his ability to protect and serve the human species at all costs. But there is a catch. In following each of these laws, Moloch self-polices his own humanity, remaining unable to recognize his own emotional instincts \u2014 which can be as tied to love as they are to hate for the human race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the playwright smartly borrows from Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart<\/strong>: \u201cEthics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.\u201d In a dynamite second act, Milarch\u2019s drama heats up as each character weighs the pros and cons of AI’s existence and looks directly into Moloch\u2019s future \u2014 a future that will unwittingly shape the impact of human security as we know it. With so much left to be explored about the ethics of artificial intelligence, Flying V\u2019s timely production reminds us that humanity may be difficult to define, but that it often reveals itself in moments most difficult to face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running Time: 110 minutes, including one intermission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctor Moloch<\/em><\/strong><\/a> plays through November 2, 2025, presented by Flying V<\/a> performing at Silver Spring Black Box, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD. For tickets ($35), purchase them online.<\/strong><\/a> Learn more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program is online here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With gusto and elegance, this timely play about a robot offers a meditation on empathy, relationships, and trust. 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