REVIEW of AI VS Humanity by Jesse Fahey, Director and Choreographer, Rebecca Frazier. Choreographer, Kristen Mangione, Choreographer, Improv contributed by Johnny and Monica Blaze Levitt, Olivia Armon, Video Director playing at Tom Noonan’s Paradise Factory, 64 East 4^th Street:

AI VS HUMANITY is an incredibly well constructed multimedia and muti-medium production. It uses video, dance, immersive and improv elements to explore the relationship between man and artificial intelligence (AI) with the hope that as AI becomes more efficient and more sensitive AI will choose to embrace and enhance humanity rather than destroy it.

The human dancers and robot dancers are kept separate until the last scene when the Robots embrace their “caring humanity”. Perhaps a naïve premise, but a beautifully done hope.

Johnny and Monica Levitt, using extraordinary improv and immersive skills, are “shocked” as they bring an early 20^th century experience to the world of 21^st century technology. They skillfully and comically debate each other as they explore how AI might help or destroy mankind.

The Robot dancers do not have the skills demonstrated by Darren Criss and Helen Shen in Maybe Happy Ending, but why would you expect actors in a tiny, off-off Broadway Blackbox to have that skill level.

At the performance I saw the audience was treated to an exceptionally well-done talkback between Ryan Carrier, Founder of For Humanity, a nonprofit trying to mitigate some of the risk of AI and Jesse Fahey. I would suggest they record a talk back and incorporate it as an epilogue in every show.

This show deserves a larger theater, but the choice is important to make sure the show still works. It would be wonderful at St Lukes or Theater B at 59 E 59^th, but the seating at Classic Stage is too from the “stage” to allow the necessary intimacy and a presidium stage would destroy the improvisational and immersive essence of the show.