divide the pie 🥧- a capitalist theatre picnic
divide the pie - a capitalist theatre picnic
“brothers of power and sisters of solidarity.
Are you feeling hungry for a new world order?
Let us divide the pie so everyone gets their fair share. Or will they?”
The Story
In our temporary world, the pie becomes the very embodiment of supremacy and abundance. The more pie you dare to eat, the more power and resources will come to you. While some may inherit their seat at this picnic, others cunningly manoeuvred their way in, and a few member have proven themselves truly deserving. As we uphold our seasonal tradition, only the most worthy and influential are granted entry to this ceremonial spectacle, and you are one of them. So, how much pie will you devour?
Experience Elements
🌞 we play till the sun sets (about 3 hours)
🥧 the pie has to be divided by sunset
🌈 Ask for what you deserve, give generously or take it all …
🔪 Expect Drama, Power Games, Backstabbing as well as unconditional love
💰 Supports your local pie shop
🥧 Taste a variety of pies
About the play
The divide the pie ran for 2 1/2 iterations (twice in Berlin and one half-baked in London), as a continued exploration of Community Theatre formats. Set up as an improvised mini-LARP, we meet with friends and new friends, to be outside in a park and eat good pie; all while diving into the realms of character and story. We follow the play-as-you-are principle of embracing our emotions and letting them inspire our ways to play. Participants were still invited to select from a menu of character archetypes and mix them to create their own player identity. Here are some select examples, that each play into certain values and archetypes.
🥧 PETER PIE (that was me): I played the host and concierge. I serve the pie, and its desire is to be divided. (when facilitating I tend to gravitate towards characters that play with order, as it gives some guidance and direction amidst open play chaos)
👑 THE ROYALS: A long-standing member of the ceremony, in line to inherit a big piece. It is theirs by blood and tradition, after all. Attempts to divide the pie “fairly” have to be crushed. Play with Power, Revenge, … (played by a troupe of friends.
🍞 THE SOURDOUGH: An elder and one of the most respected people at the picnic. You have lived through many cycles of division and are here to offer unique perspectives to the ceremony. You might lead a ritual or call for spirits. Play with Wisdom. Magic, Ceremony …
🍼 THE MILK&FLOUR LOBBY: Influence and Money bought your spot at this table. You have your shareholders’ pockets in mind, and created the supply chain that runs the pie operations for the general populace. You are here to lobby for your interests. “We have to consider the importance of calcium for public health.” Play with Power, Discipline, Charisma …
🎨 CRUSTY CREATOR: You are an artist — & created this masterpiece. You are in love with the pie and are anxiously attached to your creation. It ought to go to those who TRULY appreciate its taste and beauty. Play with Beauty, Artistic Expression, Devotion …
Other participant-created archetypes included the Royal Taster, the Confused tourist who stumbled their way into this picnic, and more.
Learnings & Experience
During the introduction circle, I wrote down the names of all the people and put them in a hat. At random times, I would draw them out of the bucket, giving their character a spotlight to lead the story. This worked quite well! It balanced the play into the collective and gave shy humans an opportunity and a challenge to play.
People loved going into groups and playing in smaller tribes, then returning to groups. The format 2 - 4 - All. Works pretty well here, both as an introduction at the beginning and throughout the experience to divide into smaller stories and give more agency during the creation.
The power of props in experience design — flour, a knife, ropes to tie people, Milk, and an extra surprise cake. Props are a surprising delight and help humans at play to more deeply embody their character and immerse in the story — it gives an artifact through which we can pursue our values and purpose/goal.
Opening the Stage — Every Human at Play experience has to, at some point, open the stage to the outside world. In this case, after the sun is setting, we walk around the park and share the remaining pieces of pie with strangers. If you happen to buy the exact amount of pie you need, or people eat double, you need to buy more pie. :)
Create your capitalist theatre picnic
Connect to me via Instagram @humanatplay where I announce all my events :) Want to run your edition? Send me a DM or email to kuba@humanatplay.com, and I’ll help you organize it for you and your friends!