Uncanny Valley at Stoneham Theatre

If last summer's sleeper hit Ex Machina and this summer's Morgan are any indication, humans are getting closer than ever to developing lifelike robots with artificial intelligence ... or at least developing full-blown paranoia about its implications. In Uncanny Valley, Thomas Gibbons' thought-provoking new play at Stoneham Theatre, researchers have developed a means of extending the human lifespan through A.I. (the "uncanny valley" refers to the discomfort people feel when confronted by objects that look and move almost but not quite like real humans). But as Claire, a neuroscientist, charts her relationship with a non-biological human named Julian, a painful divide is discovered. Ultimately, Claire must come face to face with her creation -- and is shocked to discover just who's staring back at her.