Disclaimer: In the nature of the topic of this article, shown below is one article written by ChatGPT and one article written by a human. Both the human and the artificial intelligence were given the same information. The AI article was not edited by a human; the AI article below is the exact article ChatGPT wrote.
Grace Aber
With AI becoming more present in our everyday lives, the Advanced Theater 1 class decided to showcase the uses of AI in their first semester production, “Tenfest: Man vs. Machine.” In this show, each of the seven rounds features two plays; one being written by a previous Advanced Theater 1 student and the other being generated by AI. Both the student and the AI received the same prompt for each round.
The original idea for the “Tenfest” was created last year to give the Advanced Theater students the chance to make their own one-to-two-page plays since there isn’t a class dedicated to playwriting.
“So the idea was originally last year to have sort of a mini playwriting competition in the Advanced Theater 1 class where students would write ten-minute plays and the class would vote on the best five or six, and those would get performances the following year with the next Advanced Theater 1 class coming in,” Michael Sherman, the Advanced Theater 1 teacher, said.
This play emphasizes the beauty of modern-day cooperation between AI and human work.
“With ‘Man vs. Machine,’ from the first day when we were just reading our lines and now we’re getting costume pieces and beginning to really see the show come together and it’s really, really beautiful,” Advanced Theater 1 student, Riley Coleman, ‘26, said.
However, one of the differences that the students have recognized between the AI-written scripts and the human-written scripts is that the AI seems to put less emotion and feeling into the scripts than the human.
“The AI tends to be a bit more generic [while] the students use pop culture moments or viral memes,” Coleman said. “The characters tend to be pretty static. So it’s figuring out how you can make it come to life when the script is pretty lifeless.”
Though there are many benefits to using AI, nothing can replace the emotion that human playwrights have.
“I want people to see how important it is to have human playwrights,” Coleman said. “This performance shows how much more emotion human writers can put into their scripts and how much they care.”
ChatGPT
A unique theater production, “Ten Fest,” is making waves this year as high school students explore the intersection of technology and creativity. Students in the advanced theater class at WHHS are performing a series of short plays, some written by artificial intelligence and others by their peers, in a competition to determine which has more emotional depth and artistic merit.
The concept, proposed by theater teacher Mike Sherman, aims to give students a real-world playwriting experience while posing a thought-provoking question: Can AI replicate the emotional depth and creativity of a human playwright? Sherman, in his 12th year teaching at the school, says the initiative is a response to the growing influence of AI in the arts. “It’s important for students studying theater to understand how to make their own work, and what better way to do that than by contrasting human and AI-generated scripts?”
The festival features 14 mini-plays, each lasting no more than 10 minutes. The audience votes on which play they prefer after each round, adding an interactive element to the show. Students, like Riley Coleman, a senior who has been acting and working behind the scenes in theater for years, are enthusiastic about the opportunity. “It’s amazing to see the whole show come together, from script to costumes, and it’s fun to see how people react to AI-written scripts versus human ones,” Coleman said.
The process is a learning experience for all involved. Students auditioned for roles and worked together to bring each play to life, with Coleman taking on multiple roles, including a political debater and a vegan fighting against robots. The performances highlight the contrast between human creativity and AI’s more formulaic approach. “You can tell the difference when it’s AI. The characters are more static, and the emotion just isn’t there,” Coleman explained.
As technology continues to shape the future of theater, “Ten Fest” provides a unique platform for students to engage with these changes and reflect on the value of human artistry in an increasingly automated world. The show runs through December 14th, and the audience’s votes will ultimately determine which plays are deemed the most compelling.