Summary of the Article: “asses.masses” – A Collaborative, Audience-Driven Performance
This article details the unique theatrical experience of asses.masses, a nearly eight-hour-long performance created by Milton Lim and Patrick Blenkarn. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
* Collaborative gameplay: The performance centers around a video game were audience members take turns controlling the game, guiding a herd of donkeys who have lost their jobs to industrialization.
* Themes Explored: The show delves into themes of labour, play, and the consequences of industrial progress.
* Dynamic Narrative: The story isn’t fixed; it evolves based on the choices and interactions of the audience,making each performance unique.
* “Politics of the Basement” Inspiration: The creators intentionally evoke the communal gaming experience of the 90s/early 2000s – the shared, often boisterous, atmosphere of friends playing video games together.
* Audience participation is Key: While one person controls the game at a time,the entire audience actively participates by offering advice,commentary,and even criticism.
* Emergent Storytelling: Unexpected events and audience-driven support can significantly alter the course of the game, creating spontaneous narratives within the larger framework of the performance. An exmaple given is an audience pausing the game for a dinner break to support a struggling player.
* Self-reliant Game Advancement: The game itself was developed by Lim and Blenkarn.
In essence, asses.masses isn’t just a performance with an audience, its a performance by the audience, creating a truly communal and unpredictable theatrical event.
