1920s Robot Play Coming to Lafayette

Ever wondered where the word "robot" comes from?

It was believed to have been first coined in 1920 by Czech playwright Karel Capek, who introduced it to the world in his play R.U.R. (which stands for Rossums Universal Robots).

Next week, the play comes to Lafayette College, directed by Michael O'Neill, an associate professor and the school's director of theater. It will feature music by Patrick Kelley, a 2009 Lafayette graduate.

"Written in 1920, this expressionistic journey into genetic engineering on a mass scale accurately predicted a mechanized world without emotions and without individual rights," the college wrote in a news release.

The word "robot," incidentally, comes from the Slavonic word "rabota," which means "servitude" or "forced labor."

R.U.R. premieres Wednesday, Feb. 29 at Lafayette's Williams Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $6, and can be purchased by calling the center's box office at 610-330-5009.