Could a robot become a successful actor?The case of Geminoid F.

Could a robot be a good actor? Could it build an effective relationship of un- derstanding and empathy with other actors or spectators? This paper offers just a glimpse, a first trace of research of a now important phenomenon that affects the Performing Arts, namely the integration of artificial agents both in the creative process and in the theatrical performance. It will be treated for this purpose by the example of the android Geminoid F, protagonist of the play Sayonara (2010) by Jap- anese director Oriza Hirata, created by Osaka University’s robotics expert Profes- sor Hiroshi Ishiguro, whose gestures have been learned by imitating those of a real professional actress. Watching this android act is an alienating aesthetic experi- ence: from the position of the audience, the boundary between human and robot is unclear. Geminoid F was chosen as co-star in the film of the same name, shot in 2015 by the internationally acclaimed Japanese director Koji Fukada, precisely be- cause of her expressive qualities, as effective as those of a human actor, capable of arousing an empathic reaction in the viewer.