Ex Machina

Canadian theater company

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Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "deus ex machina" originates from ancient Greek and Roman drama, literally meaning "a god from a machine." This referred to a crane used to lower actors playing gods onto the stage to resolve complex plotlines.1

In modern usage, "deus ex machina" describes an unexpected and improbable event or character that suddenly resolves a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story.1

Canadian writer, director, and designer Robert Lepage founded the theatre company Ex Machina in Quebec City in 1994. Ex Machina is known for its innovative stage productions that often blend diverse cultural elements and unconventional media.2

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Robert Lepage
Ex Machina
…found a new theatre company, Ex Machina, having left his position at the National Arts Centre the previous year. The company’s first production, The Seven Streams of the River Ota (1994), used the bombing of Hiroshima as a metaphor for contemporary problems such as AIDS. The play, set in the…
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…found a new theatre company, Ex Machina, having left his position at the National Arts Centre the previous year. The company’s first production, The Seven Streams of the River Ota (1994), used the bombing of Hiroshima as a metaphor for contemporary problems such as AIDS. The play, set in the…
Read More