Actors traditionally wish each other good luck before they go on stage by saying, "Break a leg!"

In the not-too-distant future, they may instead be saying — through a voice simulator — "Blow a fuse!"

Indeed, as leading Japanese dramatist Oriza Hirata recently wondered aloud to this writer, "Will actors at auditions soon be vying for their roles with robots? And are we entering an era in which robot actors will one day take the leads in 'Romeo and Juliet'?"