Two days only – Sat, May 24 & Sun, May 25, 2025: The Theatre Centre, in association with Aluna Theatre, presents asses.masses, created by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim. A custom-made video game about labour, technophobia and sharing the load of revolution, designed to be played from beginning to end in a live theatre. This is a full-day experience with gaming as performance – an immersive, cheeky and highly original work.
Animal Farm meets Pokémon meets Final Fantasy
The unemployed donkeys have one demand: the humans must surrender their machines and give all donkeys their jobs back. But revolution is never easy!
Brave spectators take turns at the controller to lead the herd through a post-Industrial society, where asses are valued more for their hides than their potential. Confronting automation-driven job loss, nostalgia as a barrier to progress, and the role of technology in adaptation, we are encouraged to find space between the work that defines us and the play that frees us.
Experience a performance that’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before! asses.masses is as exciting in form as it is in content. No previous gaming (or donkey) experience required.
A performance that is like nothing you have ever seen before
For the best possible experience, The Theatre Centre highly recommends being present for the whole show, from beginning to end. Intermissions take place every two episodes, approximately every 1.5 hours. The performance on Saturday, May 24 will be in English; and the performance on Sunday, May 25 will be in Spanish, with translation by Argentinian artist Marcos Krivocapich.
(Photo credits: Francisco Castro Pizzo.)
About The Theatre Centre
The Theatre Centre is a nationally recognized live-arts incubator and community hub. Their mission is to offer a home for creative, cultural and social interactions to invent the future. They make work that spans disciplines and genres; work that pushes the boundaries of what is considered “art”. Their programming and role as a community space are inextricably linked. Art is not made in a silo: it is connected to the world around it.” Read more about The Theatre Centre here.
About Aluna Theatre
Based in Toronto, award-winning Aluna Theatre was founded in 2001 as a response to the misrepresentation and under-representation of cultural diversity and the work of women on our stages. Their artistic mission is to embrace the myriad voices, cultures and stories that are transforming the landscape of Canadian theatre. In their plays, works in translation and international co-creations, people are complex individuals who exist beyond the restrictions of cultural labels. They encourage new hybrids of theatre evolved from a rich collaboration of experiences, performance traditions and media by engaging both emerging and established theatre professionals. Read more about their story here.
”Absolutely worth the marathon. Gamer or not, just GO.”
– The Theatre Centre audience member
(Photo credits: The Theatre Centre.)
Event details
Hosted by: The Theatre Centre, in association with Aluna Theatre
Type of event: video game as performance
Co-direction, text, programming, pixel art & 2d animation by: Patrick Blenkarn
Co-direction, text, sound design, video, shaders & 3d visual effects by: Milton Lim
Team of collaborators: See the team here
Original music & sound design by: David Mesiha
Spanish translation by: Marcos Krivocapich
Dates: Saturday, May 24 & Sunday, May 25, 2025. The performance on May 24 will be in English & the May 25 performance will be in Spanish, with translation by Argentinian artist Marcos Krivocapich.
Start time: 1:00 PM ET
Duration: 7.5 hours, including 4 intermissions (ends @ 8:30 PM ET)
The length of the show is variable, based on how audiences decide to play the game and what choices they make. Food will be provided throughout the experience and served at each intermission. Drinks will be available for purchase. For the best possible experience, they highly recommend being present for the whole show, from the beginning to the end, in its entirety.
Cost: C$30.00
Discounts are available for anyone who may be looking for financial accessibility, including students, seniors, arts workers and The Theatre Centre’s West Queen West neighbours. Please email or call The Theatre Centre at boxoffice@theatrecentre.org or 416-538-0988 to ask about discounted tickets.
Location: The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1J1
Trailer: Scroll down to watch the trailer.
Booking link: Book your tickets here.
Contact details: The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1J1, Canada; Box office: 416-538-0988, boxoffice@theatrecentre.org, theatrecentre.org
Content warning: The show includes flashing lights and audience participation. Violence, crude language, simulated sex, references to drug use, suicide and police brutality.
Accessibility: The Theatre Centre is physically accessible to audiences and artists alike. Each level has a barrier-free washroom and there’s a lift available for public use. If you have questions or need specific accommodations, please email or call the box office at 416-538-0988 and they’ll do their best to help you out. While the box office staff is working from home there will not be anyone on site to answer the phone. Leave a message and they’ll endeavour to return your call within 48 hours. To offer feedback on your experience or their accessibility procedures, call the box office or email them at boxoffice@theatrecentre.org. More info here.
Refund policy: Please contact the box office.