work.txt by Nathan Ellis is an interactive, participatory theatre piece that explores work. art and the end of the world.  There are no actors, except for the audience and whoever is pushing the buttons that move things along.  There’s a computer screen.  It instructs the audience what to do, what to say, what to sing.  It asks for volunteers.  But the volunteers don’t know whether they will be given a task that lasts seconds or whether they will play a major role in the unfolding drama.  One volunteer becomes the principal protagonist of the show.  They alone have a name.  But I’m jumping ahead.  First we must create the city where millions go to places called “workplaces” to do stuff called “work”.  We do this with Jenga blocks.  It’s fun and looks cool.  But back to our protagonist.

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