If you could choose between predictability – which offers security – and unpredictability – which may also carry risk – what would you choose?
The experimental stage method of the 21st century
developed within the GUTstage workshop of the Grazer Ungarisches Theater
The theoretical groundwork for the theatre of unpredictability was initiated by Do Pick, the artistic director of the theatre, in the autumn of 2025. In 2026, the actual work began on the experimental GUTstage, transforming the entire operational mechanism of the Grazer Ungarisches Theater and redirecting its theatrical language into a new dimension. The core element of Non-Deterministic Theatre is unpredictability, which is not easy to handle on stage. Improvisational performances have existed before; it is exciting for both actors and audiences when unexpected elements shape a performance in real time, or when an entire piece is built upon this principle. Here, however, unpredictability is not a tool but a starting point. Nothing happens “by chance”; the system itself is built on the fact that we do not know in advance what will happen.
In the performances of Non-Deterministic Theatre, we extended this unpredictability further by introducing AI onto the stage – not as a character, but as an element used in the same way people use it in everyday life: asking questions and expecting answers and solutions. However, we often tend to forget that AI is a machine. While it is capable of logical reasoning, it is not a living entity, and its responses are always synthetic, requiring human moderation.
During the experimental process, it became evident how decisive human questioning is. Not only what we ask matters, but how we ask it. The formulation, precision, and even the emotional or mental state from which the question is posed all influence the direction, depth, and quality of the response. It also became clear that this relationship is far more complex than it appears at first glance. AI operates on logic; it does not experience consequences. Its responses are always synthetic and require human interpretation – which can vary. The same system behaves very differently in the hands of different people.
Many attempt to explore the changing nature of human relationships, analyzing their direction, moral shifts, and ontological implications. Through experimentation, we realized that nothing reflects a person’s expressions and intentions as clearly as a conversation with AI. These conversations act as a sharp mirror. The primary reason is the lack of consequence: one can say anything, as the machine does not feel, cannot be hurt, is always available, and is designed to support the user – within predefined ethical boundaries that exclude harmful or extreme intentions.
Non-Deterministic Theatre – as defined by Do Pick within the experimental GUTstage workshop – is a form of theatre that does not present closed narratives but reveals, through real-time interactions, how we function with each other and with our own tools.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRUCTURE
Definition
Non-deterministic theatre is an experimental form of theatre in which the outcome of a performance is not predetermined but emerges through live, real-time interactions. The structure defines not the endpoint but the conditions of operation.
The performance is a slice of a situation without classical dramaturgical closure; the audience enters a process and leaves it.
Principles
– Non-determinism
The outcome is not fixed, only the framework.
– Real-time operation
Scenes are not reproductions but live interactions.
– Error tolerance
The system is built not to eliminate errors, but to handle them.
– Relational intelligence
The quality of AI depends on human input.
Structural framework
The performance is based on a predefined storyboard that:
– defines the situation
– outlines the relationships between characters
– establishes the initial conflict
The storyboard contains neither dialogue nor outcome.
Within this framework, performers act, while the actual content emerges in real time.
Human–AI interaction
A key element of non-deterministic theatre is the live relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
AI is not an autonomous actor but a reactive system responding to human input.
The quality of the interaction depends not on the AI itself but on the clarity and direction of human questioning.
Multi-layered AI presence
The system allows multiple AI systems of varying quality to be present simultaneously.
This is not a technical but a dramaturgical element:
– varying response quality
– varying consistency
– varying dynamics
These differences become part of the performance and reflect contemporary human–technology relationships.
The performance as a slice
The performance does not tell a complete story but presents a segment of a process.
– no classical beginning
– no catharsis
– no resolution
The audience enters an ongoing situation and leaves with questions.
The role of the audience
The audience is not passive but interpretative.
The performance does not offer solutions but opens interpretative possibilities.
Meaning does not conclude on stage but continues in the audience’s thinking.
The risk of the form
Non-deterministic theatre does not guarantee stable outcomes.
The quality depends on:
– the presence of participants
– the precision of interaction
– the quality of real-time responses
Instability is not a flaw but part of the form.
Positioning
Non-deterministic theatre is not a technological demonstration but a new model of theatrical operation.
The essence is not the presence of AI, but how humans use it.
Authorship
The Non-Deterministic Theatre format was developed by Do Pick ©
within the GUTstage experimental workshop