setup.school(). The Learning Machine (2021)

In the mobile game setup.school(). The Learning Machine , a humanoid teaching robot—which students ages 13 and older can configure as a teacher according to their wishes—gets tested in the classroom.

IT specialist Nora Garn has developed the world’s first teaching robot, the Teach3000. The device, which is still in the test phase, resembles a human teacher and adapts to students’ individual needs. However, in order to design the robot to fit their specifications, students must first work together to formulate and negotiate their needs.

In a playful format, students decide what their school robot should be able to do and discuss its “basic settings”: What does a fair evaluation actually look like? How easy-going, how strict should a teacher be? Acting out the school metaphor becomes an exercise in self-determination, submission, and participation.

Nominated for Wildwechsel Festival 2023.

Premiere / Venues

Premiere in November 2021 at the Landesbühnen Sachsen in Radebeul and in January 2022 at the Theater Baden-Baden

Restaging in March 2024 at the Hessischen Staatstheater Wiesbaden

Credit: machina eX

Credit: Landesbühnen Sachsen/Silvio Dittrich, René Jungnickel

Credit: Christine Tritschler



„We would definitely recommend the play, especially for groups looking for a fun-filled adventure.“

Emma & Janina, Windeck-Gymnasium Bühl

Concept and Game Design: machina eX /// Direction and Software Development: Anton Krause /// Text: Clara Ehrenwerth /// Interactive Design and Software Development: Robin Hädicke /// Bühne und Kostüm: Luise Ehrenwerth /// Graphic Design: Elisa Haubert /// Software-Development: Thomas Drechsler, Benedikt Kaffai /// Production management: Sina Kießling /// Performance Radebeul: Cordula Hanns, Johannes Krobbach /// Performance Baden-Baden: Sebastian Brummer, Stephan Roschy /// Dramaturgy: Sebastian Brummer, Johanna Jäger

Production: machina eX. Coproduction: Landesbühnen Sachsen, Theater Baden-Baden. Premiere funded by „ZukunftsGut“ – Commerzbank Foundation Prize for Institutional Cultural Education. With support from the Sparkassen Foundation Baden-Baden Gaggenau and the Baden-Baden and Lichtentaler Allee Lions Clubs


Video: Miguel Hernández, Staatstheather Wiesbaden