asses.masses is a custom video game designed to be played from beginning to end by a live audience, one person at a time. It’s the 7+ hour epic story of a herd of unemployed donkeys trying to get their jobs back, all while navigating the perils of a post-Industrial society in which they’ve been made redundant.
Cheeky, political, and best described as Animal Farm meets Pokemon meets Final Fantasy, asses.masses puts the control(ler) in its audience’s hands and asks them to discover the space between the work that defines us and the play that frees us.
how does it work?
A game controller sits at the front of the stage. Brave spectators take turns each night stepping forward from the herd to seize the means of production (the controller) and become the player. There are no instructions. It is up to the audience and their self-elected leaders to make decisions and play out their version of the game.
what does it feel like?
You can expect the show to feel like a blend of super awesome game night at your friend’s house (with a hundred friends) and unforgettable movie marathon—expect a healthy dose of political uprising, delicious food served at intermissions, and lots of donkeys. Ask anyone who has experienced the show and they’ll tell you, it does not feel like 7 hours.
what are humans saying about the experience?
“This was hands down one of the best live experiences I’ve ever had in a theatre, and it’s a group of people playing a video game. assess.masses is extremely clever and very entertaining, and you don’t have to have any gaming experience. Milton Lim and Patrick Blenkarn are geniuses.”
“One of the coolest things I’ve seen post-pandemic!!”
“One of the best things I have ever seen.”
“asses.masses was, to be quite honest, my own personal Super Bowl.”
“absolutely worth the marathon. Gamer or not, just GO.”
“the most creative, original, and entertaining piece of theatre I’ve ever seen… It’s an experience you will never forget.”
“Truly a mind boggling narrative experience.”
“asses.masses is a transcendental community experience… Mythical in quality yet simply approachable… And it is funny too.”
“the most radical rupture with traditional [theatrical] property relations”
— Karl Marx
“a constant fight, a ceaseless struggle for self-assertion”
— Emma Goldman
“a delightful and thought-provoking adventure, and — surprisingly — the 2023 show I found myself the most emotionally invested in.”
— NoPro’s Best Immersive Experiences of 2023
“Amid dark humour, fascinating worldbuilding, and multiple minigames (featuring homages to popular games like Pokémon and Metal Gear), asses.masses brings up compelling moral, philosophical, and spiritual questions.”
— Kingston Theatre Alliance
“Marathon game about a donkey revolution is an ass-tounding experience”
— BroadwayWorld.com
