Patrick Blenkarn & Milton Lim

asses.masses

Digital Art
Game

German / approx. 7.5h

Gaming as performance: A herd of unemployed donkeys tries to get their jobs back. Spectators take turns at the controller to lead the herd through a post-industrial society, where asses are mainly valued for their hides. 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.

www.assesmasses.work

Cast

Co-direction, text, programming, pixel art, 2D animation: Patrick Blenkarn / Co-direction, text, sound design, video, shaders, 3D visual effects: Milton Lim / Dramaturgy, text, touring production: Laurel Green / Original music, sound design: David Mesiha / Pixel art, 2D animation, Portuguese translation: Clarissa Picolo / Pixel art, 2D animation: William Roth / 3D environments: Ariadne Sage / Additional programming: Samuel Reinhart / German translation: Birgit Schreyer Duarte

Dates

Past

Sat 26.10.2024, 14:00 / HAU3

Further Information

Visitor note

Duration: Approximately 7,5 hours, with 4 intermissions. Like binge-watching a series, missing sections of the show means that you will miss significant portions of the narrative. Latecomers are allowed but encouraged to get there on time or they will miss the introduction.

There will be breaks with food and drinks available for the length of the show. Food is included in the ticket price.

The story of “asses.masses” is told through visual text in German language, which is delivered on screen in dialogue boxes that are controlled by the players. There are no voice overs or actors performing the text aloud. “asses.masses” requires that players listen for audio cues, read text from the screen, and use their hand dexterity to operate a game controller. The pace of the game is directly controlled by the player and can change depending on the audiences; this includes how quickly players progress through the text.

All performances of “asses.masses” are ‘extra live’ or a relaxed environment, which means that audience members are free to make noises, move around a little more, use devices that help them participate, drink or snack, and just be a human in the space with other humans. The theatre is never completely dark except for one moment of blackout at the beginning of the show.

This performance uses references to drug use, suicide and police violence. Physical violence and sexual acts are depicted virtually. Strobe lighting effects are used. There is interaction with the audience. We recommend participation for viewers aged 14 and over.

Credits

Production: Patrick Blenkarn, Milton Lim. Produced in association with: National Arts Centre of Canada’s National Creation Fund. Funded by: Creative BC, British Columbia Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts. Supported by: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, The Theatre Centre, VIVO Media Arts, Embassy of Canada to Argentina and Paraguay.

Location

HAU3

Tempelhofer Ufer 10, 10963 Berlin

HAU3 unfortunately is not barrier-free. Access to the theatre is via a stairwell (3rd floor). The use of a lift is possible with prior arrangement. If you need help, please contact our Ticketing & Service team at +49 (0)30 259004-27 or email us at tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de. Wheelchair users are also kindly requested to register their attendance at least one day before the performance.
Thank you for your understanding.

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