The donkeys are out of work, and they’re furious about it.

The machines took their jobs, and now the herd has a single demand: humans hand over the technology and give the donkeys back their livelihoods. But no revolution goes smoothly, especially one with hooves.

asses.masses is a video game built for the stage and played live in front of an audience. Volunteers from the crowd take the controller and lead the herd across a post-industrial wasteland where a donkey’s hide is worth more than its potential. Every choice belongs to the room, and so does every stumble.

You set the pace.

The show starts at noon and ends when the herd says so. Every victory, wrong turn, and side quest shapes how long the journey takes, and most playthroughs run 7 to 8 hours. The audience even decides how long each of the four intermissions lasts. Sometimes it’s a 15-minute timer, and sometimes the room just knows when it’s time to get back to the revolution.

Feed the herd. (It’s included.)

Food is built into your ticket, and every intermission unlocks a new round, from snacks to a hearty meal to dessert. Bring it back to your seat; the herd plays better well fed. The bar stays open all day. Consider it loot.

No gaming (or donkey) experience required.

The MCA production of asses.masses is in proud partnership with Albany Park Theater Project and Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center.

Content Advisory

There will be loud sounds, music, and flashing sections as you play the game. asses.masses contains coarse language, representations of donkeys mating and humans mating (separately), audience participation, and strong revolutionary rhetoric.