asses.masses [the dossier]
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last updated: 2024.08.20
Table of Contents
What is asses.masses?
Story
Event
Video
Intermissions
Audience Responses
Artists + Team
Production History
Language + Accessibility + Hospitality
Community Engagement
Pricing
Example Schedules
Sample Technical Overview + Link to Full Tech Rider
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[1] what is asses.masses?
asses.masses is a custom-made video game designed to be played on stage by a live audience.
asses.masses is an epic narrative about the struggles of unemployed asses navigating the perils of a post-Industrial society in which they’ve been made redundant.
asses.masses is a collaborative journey designed to be experienced in its totality, from beginning to end in one sitting, over 7+ hours and 10 episodes.
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[2] the story
Labour, technophobia, donkeys, and sharing the load of revolution: asses.masses follows a community of pixelated asses in their quest to get their old farm and mining jobs back, despite the relentless industrialization in their region.
Told across 10 episodes and through a wide range of game forms, including 2D RPG, Platformer, Rhythm Game, 3D Action Adventure, and many more**, the asses (and the live audience) must to work together to confront its growing division between those who, harbouring nostalgia for ‘the old ways’, reject technology and those who embrace technology as an adaptation for surviving the present.
Cheeky and political, it’s best described as Animal Farm meets Aesop’s Fables retold by Franz Kafka, Karl Marx, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
**GLOSSARY for those who don’t play video games.
2D RPG: Stands for Role-Playing Game. Players explore worlds completing quests. Example: Pokemon.
Platformer: Players run and jump to overcome obstacles and reach a goal. Example: Super Mario Bros.
Rhythm Game: Players hit buttons in rhythm with awesome music. Example: Dance Dance Revolution.
3D Action Adventure: Players run through beautiful 3D worlds, jumping, and exploring the unknown. Example: Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
EPISODES:
Episode 1: The Protest
Episode 2: The Fire
—intermission—
Episode 3: The Mine
Episode 4: The Path
—intermission—
Episode 5: The Circus / The Zoo
Episode 6: The Dream
—intermission—
Episode 7: The Factory
Episode 8: The Gods
—intermission—
Episode 9: The Machines
Episode 10; The Riot
Epilogue
Stills from asses.masses at the Theatre Centre’s Hybrid by Design Festival (2022)
[3] the event
During asses.masses, brave spectators take turns each night to step forward from the herd to seize the means of production and become the player. There are no instructions and there are no actors. It is up to each audience and their self-elected leaders to make decisions and play out their version of the game.
Think of it like a group coming together to binge-watch the newest series or have a marathon of their favourite films. Many of us do this all the time—we just don’t all have 100 friends and a theatre to do it in.
During the show, you can expect an asses.masses audience to be:
playing the game for at least 7hrs
calling out to offer or request help
taking turns with the controller
laughing (it’s funny and full of wordplay)
crying (particularly at the end)
Keys to a successful asses.masses experience:
LONG DURATION: Once the game starts, the audience will take the time it requires to complete the game. The show cannot be interrupted after it begins and the creators of the project nor staff from the venue will not intervene.
INTERMISSIONS: There are FOUR intermissions throughout the show, occurring every two episodes.
SUSTENANCE: For each show, audiences require the ability to eat and drink within the venue. Think Vegetarian Food (with Vegan/Gluten Free options) and Drinks (Alcohol/Non-alcoholic options). Popcorn? Steamed buns? Burritos? Beer? Hard drinks? Kombucha? Every show is different. Whenever possible, we aim for this food to be included in the cost of the ticket.
TIMING: asses.masses works best as a big game night. It should be scheduled after 1pm during weekends.
[4] full length video [The Theatre Centre, 2023]
Matthew Austin, Co-Director, MAYK
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. asses.masses is extremely clever and very entertaining, and you don’t have to have any gaming experience.
Milton Lim and Patrick Blenkarn are geniuses.
[5] Intermissions
During each of asses.masses’ FOUR intermissions, the audience is in control of how long the intermission lasts—sometimes they set a timer for 15 minutes, other times they just ‘feel’ for when to start again.
For each intermission, we serve more food and keep the bar open—think of it like getting a series of surprises over the course of the event. A typical food sequence is:
Pre-Show (and throughout): Popcorn
Intermission 1: Fruits, Veggies, Candy, Coffee, Tea
Intermission 2: Samosas
Intermission 3: Rice + Tofu or Soup or Falafel
Intermission 4: Ice Cream
Mayfest 2024 (Bristol)
PuSh 2024 (Vancouver)
In all presentations, the food is built into the ticket fee. These goods are ideally able to be consumed inside the theatre—as that helps to keep the energy up and the show moving forward. For drinks, we are keen to be able to offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to audiences. We happy to work with an in house bar, as well as create partnerships with local breweries.
(See example food budget below in section [11])
[6] audience responses
Click the images to expand.
Aislinn Rose, General & Artistic Director, The Theatre Centre
When artists Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim brought asses.masses to Argentina, we witnessed audiences commit to a 7-hour epic in the format of a video game.
We saw audiences jump up and down when passing a really difficult level, brainstorming, and taking turns to work together. They were truly immersed in the journey of some adorable (and sassy) donkeys. Around every corner was a new surprise.
And I will never speak lightly of the artistry and rigour that has gone into this work. The story, writing, sound, and the level of detail is incredible.
[7] artists + team
asses.masses is led by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim. Coming from a mixture of performance training (devised and experimental theatre), reading and research (philosophy/psychology), as well as digital media (game engines and real-time interactive systems), Patrick and Milton’s collaborations have manifested in video game performance experiments, participatory installations, digital archives, and card games. For more information about both artists and their independent work, visit their websites: miltonlim.com and patrickblenkarn.com
The international team of artists behind the project are:
Patrick Blenkarn (Canada) — co-direction, text, programming, pixel art, 2D animation
Milton Lim (Canada) — co-direction, text, sound design, video, shaders, 3D visual effects
Laurel Green (Canada) — dramaturgy, text, touring producer
David Mesiha (Canada) — original music, sound design, audio implementation
Clarissa Picolo (Brazil) — pixel art, 2D animation, Portuguese translation
William Roth (France) — pixel art, 2D animation
Ariadne Sage (Germany) — 3D environments
Samuel Reinhart (USA) — additional programming
Marcos Krivocapich (Argentina) — Spanish translation
Gilles Poulin-Denis (Canada) — French translation
Julius De Michelis (Italy) — Italian translation
Birgit Schreyer Duarte (Canada/Germany) — German Translation
Emre Yıldızlar (Türkiye) — Turkish translation
[8] production + development history
SUPPORT
Created with support from Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, The Theatre Centre, VIVO Media Arts, Embassy of Canada to Argentina and Paraguay.
Developed with the funding support from Creative BC and the British Columbia Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.
Produced in association with the National Arts Centre of Canada’s National Creation Fund.
UPCOMING
2024.10.26 | Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin, DE (DE) — German language premiere
2024.11.10 | Theater im Pumpenhaus, Münster DE (DE)
2025.01.11 | Theater im Pumpenhaus, Münster DE (DE)
2025.02.02 | Mois Multi, CA (FR)
2025.02.15-16 | UMS (University of Michigan), USA (EN)
PREVIOUS
2024.06.20-06.21 | Inteatro Festival, Ancona, IT (IT)
2024.05.23-06.02 | Festival TransAmériques, Montréal, CA (FR/EN)
2024.05.18-19 | Mayfest, Bristol, UK (EN)
2024.01.20-2024.02.03 | PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Vancouver, CA (EN)
2023.09.22-24 | The Theatre Centre, Toronto, CA (EN)*
*Nominated for Outstanding Immersive Work in Toronto, 2024 No Proscenium Award
2023.09.01-10 | Festival Internacional de Teatro Universitario (FITU), UNAM, Mexico City, MX (ES)
2023.06.09 | STAGES Festival, Dartmouth, CA (EN)
2023.06.8 | FOLDA, Kingston, CA (EN)
2023.03.02-04 | Buenos Aires International Festival (FIBA), Buenos Aires, AR (ES)
[in progress showings and development phases]
2022.05.12-14 | Hybrid by Design Festival, The Theatre Centre, Toronto, CA (EN)
2021.08.23–09.12 | Residency at The Theatre Centre, Toronto, CA
2021.08.23 | Spotlight Canada Pitch, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh, UK
2021.07.01–07.31 | Development Residency, VIVO Media Arts, Vancouver, CA
2021.03.02–03.04 | Buenos Aires International Festival (FIBA), Buenos Aires, AR (ES)
2020.02.28 | Rotary Art Centre, Kelowna, CA
2020.01.09 | Darling Foundry, Montreal, CA
2019.11.22 | Digital Summit, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, CA
2019.11.20 | to the AWE, Calgary, CA
2019.07.31 | soft/WALL/studs Playtest, Singapore
2019.06.28–06.30 | Risk/Reward Festival for New Performance, Portland, USA
2018.12.01–12.10 | Creation Residency, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby, CA
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Federico Irazábel, Artistic Director, Festival Internacional de Buenos Aires (FIBA)
asses.masses tiene un valor eminentemente artístico a través del que se redefine la noción de teatralidad, la de performer, la de texto dramático y la de puesta en escena, alienta un modo muy original de relación de la escena con la tecnología de un modo hasta ahora no visto ni trabajado al tiempo que también logra un valor político y social por su mirada sobre la construcción de un sujeto colectivo.
Este proyecto es una perfecta metáfora epistemológica a través de la que opinar sobre el mundo sin hacer esto de manera declamatoria y, sobre todo, sin renunciar a los procedimientos y figuras retóricas propias del lenguaje artístico.
Translation:
asses.masses has an eminently artistic value through which the notion of theatricality, that of performer, that of dramatic text and that of staging is redefined. It encourages a very original way of relating the stage to technology in a way that, until now, has not been seen or worked on, while also achieving political and social value for its gaze on the construction of a collective subject.
This project is a perfect epistemological metaphor through which to comment on the world without doing so in a declamatory way and, above all, without renouncing the procedures and rhetorical figures typical of artistic language.
[9] language + accessibility + additional hospitality
TRANSLATIONS
The story of asses.masses is told via visual text. Originally written in English, asses.masses is available for performance in the following languages:
English
Spanish (in a translation by Marcos Krivocapich)
French (in a translation by Gilles Poulin-Denis)
Portuguese (in a translation by Clarissa Picolo)
Italian (in a translation by Julius de Michelis)
German (in a translation by Birgit Schreyer Duarte—October 2024)
Turkish (in a translation by Emre Yıldızlar—September 2025)
To produce a new translation of asses.masses, we need a $11,000 CAD. This includes $7,000 CAD for the translator, which, with enough notice, can be funded through the Canada Council for the Arts. The remaining costs cover our team’s artist fees for redrawing elements of the show and collaborating with the translator. Languages that do no use a latin alphabet will required additional costs for any additional programming required to incorporate or change game elements.
ACCESSIBILITY
EXTRA LIVE: All performances of asses.masses are ‘extra live’, which means that audience members are free to make noise, call out, eat, drink, enter/exit, and move about as needed. The theatre’s lighting also always stays at approx. 25-40% to ensure visibility within the audience.
ASL: We are currently testing methods for providing ASL interpretation for audience members and players. We are happy to discuss strategies and options.
CONTENT; asses.masses features coarse language, simulated sex between donkeys, simulated violence and murder, and strong revolutionist rhetoric. If the venue’s alcohol licence permits, young audiences are welcome at the discretion of their parents. If the game were to be published, it would be rated M for Mature. If it were a film, it would be rated R—but feels more like 14A.
ADDITIONAL HOSPITALITY
TRANSPORTATION: Depending on the location, we have provided transportation after late night shows (ending after public transit is no longer an option) to accommodate those who need safe rides or designated drivers.
[10] community engagement
asses.masses is creates an ideal context for:
Engaging people who play video games but don’t come to theatre
Connecting with game developer and tech communities
Bridging interactive media art communities with live performance communities
In addition to the theatrical production, there is also a roster of workshops, artist talks, and masterclasses that are available to be done, and that we would love to conduct, with local audiences and artists at this hyperlink.
Towards further connecting our team with local artists and sharing ideas, Patrick and Milton are also open to participating in any panels and dialogues hosted by presenter. Patrick and Milton also have experience hosting masterclasses, workshops, and in-depth artist talks about their broad practice of blending games, politics, and performance. If curious, see Patrick and Milton’s other collaborations, culturecapital, and FARCE.
Previous Masterclasses, Artist Talks, Workshops focusing on asses.masses and games + performance
2024.5.28 | Artist Talk, Digital Puppetry, FTA, Montréal
2024.5.27 | Artist Talk, Eka Shakuelem: Indigenous Youth Group, FTA, Montréal
2024.5.17 | Artist Talk, Pervasive Media Studio + Bristol Game Lab, Bristol
2023.12.05 | Presentation, Full Indie Game Developers, Vancouver
2023.09.21 | Undergraduate lecture, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto
2023.09.20 | Masterclass, University of Toronto BMO Lab, Toronto
2023.09.08 | Masterclass, Cátedra Bergman, UNAM, Mexico City
2023.04.03 | Artist Talk, Oficina Oswald de Andrade, Sao Paulo
2023.03.17 | Artist Talk, RESIDE.FIT, Recife
2021.09.05-12 | Workshop, Game Nights, The Theatre Centre, Toronto
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[11] pricing
PERFORMANCE FEE
asses.masses has a scalable and negotiable fee depending on the number of performances. Note, all royalties and commission fees are to be already included in all fees.
Hospitality Costs
(approx.) $1500 CAD per performance (with audiences of approx. 150 people)
NEW TRANSLATION COSTS
To produce a new translation of asses.masses, we need a $11,000 CAD. This includes $7,000 CAD for the translator, which, with enough notice, can be funded through the Canada Council for the Arts. The remaining costs cover our team’s artist fees for redrawing elements of the show and collaborating with the translator. Languages that do no use a latin alphabet will required additional costs for any additional programming required to incorporate or change game elements.
TRAVEL COSTS
Travel, accommodations, and per diem costs of the (2) artists required to operate the event and, if applicable, the (1) agent are not included in the above fees; these additional costs can be negotiated.
GRANTS
Towards supporting future tours of asses.masses, our team is committed to applying for public funding. In these applications, we endeavour to include all additional costs to support the unique nature of the project. This can include, but is not limited to:
Additional cleaning fees for theatres that typically don’t allow food inside.
Overtime fees for technical staff in case the event exceeds 8 hours.
ASL interpretation costs
Safe late night transportation
[12] Example Schedules
NOTE: Due to the show’s length, asses.masses is only available for bookings on weekends. Based on our experiences touring the work, recommended start times are 1pm or 2pm, with the shows usually finishing by 10pm.
ONE SHOW SCENARIO
Wednesday: Company arrives
Thursday: Tech
Friday: Outreach/Workshops
Saturday: Performance #1 @ 2pm
TWO SHOW SCENARIO ON ONE WEEKEND
Wednesday: Company arrives
Thursday: Outreach/Workshops
Friday: Tech
Saturday: Performance #1 @ 2pm
Sunday: Performance #2 @ 2pm
TWO SHOW SCENARIO OVER TWO WEEKENDS (IDEAL)
Thursday: Company arrives
Friday: Tech
Saturday or Sunday: Performance #1 @ 2pm
Monday - Friday: Outreach/Workshops/Residency/Community Engagement
Saturday or Sunday: Performance #2 @ 2pm
[13] technical overview
For the full Tech Rider click here
PRESENTER/ARTIST CONTRIBUTIONS
Presenter will supply:
Venue: Minimum stage stage: 12’ x 24’; approx. 100 seats; raked audience; Can consume food and drinks in the venue
Projector: 1080p HD project; minimum 6000 lumens
Sound: standard house venue sound setup with subwoofer
Lighting: minimum 2-source four lights for spotlighting
Set: A single black or white plinth, approximately 12in x 12in x 38in for the controller to sit upon
Artists will supply:
Computers
Controllers
150ft CAT6 cable + USB adaptor for the cable run to the controller
100ft CAT6 cable + HDMI adaptor for connecting to the projector
LOAD IN & TECH
It is the responsibility of the PRESENTER to ensure that theatre technician(s) are available for the following schedule:
At least (1) day load-in + tech, with time for the technicians to experience the show.
The crew should try playing asses.masses if possible
Tech will consist of at least (2) hours to set up the computer, projectors, and cabling followed by at least (1) hour to focus lighting, map projection, and test the game
OPTIMAL SHOW TIMES
WEEKDAYS: after 6pm
WEEKENDS: after 1pm
Needs our own space (can’t be sharing schedule with something else within the same venue)
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