What exactly is the “uncanny valley” and why are there two new plays about it?

Microtrend alert: Next month brings not one but two new plays that share an esoteric title: The Uncanny Valley, playing at the Brick Theater from Oct 8–19; and Uncanny Valley, at 59E59 from Oct 2–26. If you have shelf space at home devoted to Star Trek and Doctor Who Blu-rays, you can probably guess what they're about.

For the uninitiated: The “uncanny valley” is a theory that the more that robots resemble human beings, the more fear and disgust, or even dread, they will inspire. (On Doctor Who, it’s called “robophobia” or "Grimwade's Syndrome.") Creepy humanoid androids are the most obvious example, but the phenomenon can extend to the irrational anger one can feel at tone-deaf Siri or endless phone trees and dinner-hour robocalls. We personalize our tools and then get upset when they depersonalize us. (Your friendly neighborhood theater editor even co-wrote an opera on the very subject.)

That two similar sci-fi plays are opening in October is pure coincidence. (Unless, of course, our lives are being controlled by a vast, unseen matrix of cyborg overlords.) The Brick offering, The Uncanny Valley, is written and directed by Francesca Talenti, and it concerns a young man (played by Alphonse Nicholson, pictured above) who wants to escape a “digital doppleganger” and thus agrees to participate in an experiment that will make him rich—but will require him to upload his mind into Dummy, who is played by “RoboThespian” press notes indicate.

Interestingly, the show at 59E59 also involves human transference of brains into robot shells. The two-hander Uncanny Valley, written by Thomas Gibbons and directed by Tom Dugdale, focuses on Julian, a robot built to house the consciousness of a dying billionaire. Neuroscientist Claire is on hand to teach Julian how to act human. My Fair Android, anybody?

We haven’t seen either show, so can’t comment further, but it’s neat to see playwrights dealing with major issues of the day—consciousness, humanness, technology. (Last year there was a Sex with Robots Festival.) And hey, on weekends from October 11–19, if you have the money and time to spare, you could have a very uncanny double feature. Good to stay informed for the coming robopocalypse. Or robotopia. Either way.