asses.masses (Boston)

Part video game, part political satire, asses.masses is an epic theatrical experience where the audience takes control. Created by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim, this wild, witty, immersive performance follows a herd of donkeys trying to get their jobs back after automation has made them obsolete. Can they succeed? That’s up to you. Combining live performance and old-school video game aesthetics, asses.masses unfolds over eight hours in a communal gaming experience designed to be played from beginning to end by a live audience, one person at a time, complete with food and drink. Cheeky, political, and best described as Animal Farm meets Pokemon meets Final Fantasy, asses.masses puts the control(ler) in the audience’s hands and asks them to discover the space between the work that defines us and the play that frees us. Production Details asses.masses includes flashing lights, audience participation, violence, crude language, sexual scenarios, and references to drug use, suicide, and police brutality. We recommend it for audience members ages 14 and up. This is not a performance that is suitable for young audiences. Participation and active spectatorship are a central parts of asses.masses. Join our Herd in any way you can. This performance is approximately seven hours and 30 minutes with four intermissions. The duration of the show varies depending on how the audience engages with the game and the choices they make. To get the most out of the experience, we strongly encourage you to stay for the entire performance, from start to finish. Food will be served throughout the experience, offered during each intermission. Drinks will be available for purchase. Intermissions occur every two episodes, approximately every 90 minutes