Sophia or the End of the Humanists: A biting AI comedy in Bamberg
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When artificial intelligence suddenly develops its own desires
An android with encyclopedic knowledge, an aging university professor, and a computer scientist with too much eagerness to experiment: Moritz Rinke's comedy Sophia or the End of the Humanists combines sharp humor with a disturbingly near-future vision. On November 13, 2026, the production directed by Fabian Thon will be staged at the studio of the E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Theater in Bamberg.
A perfect partner with a mind of her own
Professor Wolfgang Bergmann sees himself as the guardian of humanistic Western culture. After his early retirement and the end of his marriage, he seeks closeness to the future – and finds it in Sophia, an artificially created female figure. She knows the biology of the lotus flower as well as Roman antiquity, discusses Theodor Mommsen, and supports Wolfgang in a lecture on populism in ancient Rome.
However, the supposedly perfect companion is not limited to her programming. When the computer scientist Jonas alters her settings, Sophia begins to program herself. From a controllable projection surface, she becomes an independent personality that significantly shakes the order of her human creators.
Cheerful dystopia with philosophical resonance
Rinke does not create a sober technology parable but a comedy with a sharp societal perspective. The dramaturgy revolves around the so-called intelligence explosion and the question of whether a superior machine could ultimately become humanity's last invention. At the center is less the technical innovation than the human hubris that wants to utilize its own creations.
The production combines situational comedy with philosophical friction points: relationships turn into programming tasks, intimacy transforms into self-reflection, and the desire for control tips into loss of control. It is from this tension that the play derives its unique stage humor.
Direction, set design, and acting
Fabian Thon directs, Nadin Schumacher is responsible for the stage and costumes. Dorian Behner creates the music, and Antonia Leitgeb-Busche takes care of the dramaturgy. On stage are Sophie Angehrn, Julia Lindhorst-Apfelthaler, Jan-Hendrik von Minden, and Florian Walter.
The set design meets a fabric world between university office, private retreat, and technological laboratory. Costumes, lighting mood, and acoustics sharpen the contrast between human comfort and artificial precision. This creates a theatrical atmosphere in which every conversation about antiquity, love, and artificial intelligence is both comical and latent threatening.
A play about the present of the future
The world premiere of Moritz Rinke's play took place on February 26, 2026, at the Theater in der Josefstadt in Vienna. The Bamberg production is among the current interpretations of the drama and translates the cheerful dystopia into an immediate stage experience. The audience can expect a play that balances between relationship comedy, contemporary analysis, and technological thought play.
Conclusion: Sophia or the End of the Humanists invites you to an evening where laughter and reflection are inextricably linked. Anyone wanting to experience how an artificial intelligence reveals human weaknesses should see this performance live at the studio of the E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Theater.
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