Writer and Director: Nathan Allen. At: The House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Tickets: 773-769-3832 or www.thehousetheatre.com; $40-$45. Runs through March 13
Unbeknownst to many, the world recently suffered a nuclear Holocaust and I'm partially to blame for it. And you can be a contributor to mass annihilation, too, if you suit up to be a part of The Last Defender, The House Theatre of Chicago's ingenious interactive theater piece now causing lots of amusement and nerves to fray in the bunker-like basement of the Chopin Theatre.
Dreamed up by House Theatre of Chicago founder Nathan Allen, The Last Defender isn't a traditional play where people just sit back to watch. Instead, audience members become a thrown-together ensemble of 16 who must all work together or fail together by taking on a series of tasks and puzzles.
The Last Defender pays homage to the pop culture of the 1980s, ranging from arcade video games to the Cold War nuclear paranoia of films like War Games. In an overtly patriotic introductory VHS video, the stakes are laid out as the audience control room workers must decide whether to strive for nuclear war, nuclear peace or a compromise scenario.
With the minutes running down on a countdown clock as the audience scrambles to decipher all the mind-bending puzzles devised by Sandor Wiesz, it's easy to overlook all the amazing design work that went into The Last Defender. It's a major credit to Chris Burnham's overall art direction for creating a futurist environment where you feel like you've been plunked down in the middle of a sci-fi film. Be sure to read the program handed out after the experience to marvel at all the individual designers' contributions.
It's also great to reflect on the group dynamics experiment that is The Last Defender, too. Each audience member has to don similar orange jumpsuits with nicknames emblazoned on them, so everyone starts out as an equal. No one is assigned to be leaders, though those with the loudest and commanding voices have a better chance of standing outparticularly against the increasing din of computerized voices announcing destruction.
It's also wise to pay heed to the pre-show suggestion "Tight Lips Sink Ships," since communication and delegation skills will be vital for your group of defenders to succeed. And if all else fails, pay attention to the body language of the "Black Bunnies," the silent minders whose actions of will provide vital clues.
Unfortunately, the group I was part of only completed seven puzzles to prevent nuclear destruction. We all made a valiant effort, though I do wonder if we as a group might have had more devilish fun going on the offensive to start a nuclear war rather than striving in vain to avert one.