How often have you heard people say they’re stuck on a treadmill when describing their busy lives? Of course it’s not meant literally. But that’s exactly what’s happening in Burnout Paradise as four intrepid actors from Australia are indeed racing on treadmills while trying to accomplish a litany of ordinary tasks and activities that tend to drive so many of us batty in our own over-extended lives – from the sublime to the ridiculous. And while it sounds pretty crazy, audiences are eating it up – (and I can say that’s literal too) each night at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn.
The performers comprise Pony Cam, an arts collective in which they say there’s no one director, writer or set designer. The five members do it all themselves. And maybe that’s what inspired the concept for this manic production.
Each of them is planted on treadmills and given various tasks to complete in under an hour. The tasks include cooking a three course meal, writing and submitting a grant application, re-enacting a dance recital from youth, along with dozens of smaller activities like brushing teeth and applying nail polish. The object is to complete all of it and beat the previous record of accumulated miles in the allotted 40 minutes. And if they fail, which they tell us is more often the case, they offer to give the audience their money back.
It’s exhausting just watching the three young men and a woman (William Strom, Dominic Weintraub, Hugo Williams and Claire Bird) hustling to get everything done in time. They take turns in 10 minute intervals attempting to complete the tasks all while running themselves ragged on the treadmills. The fifth member of the troupe, Ava Campbell, is standing by with a whiteboard keeping track of their exact times.
But lest you think it’s all fun and games, there is method to this seeming madness. It’s a metaphor for our over-taxed lives. Aren’t we all burdened with a seeming endless list of responsibilities and chores that never seem to get done? In the show, the audience is told the performers will need help and they’re constantly reaching out for someone to assist with one thing or another. It’s quite gratifying to see how eager so many of the audience members voluntarily hop to with all manner of support – from helping to build an IKEA table and waxing chest hair to sharing expertise in an effort to create a foundation for contemporary art.
On a deeper level, we’re told each of the treadmills represents four places in our lives that need balance: Survival, Admin, Performance and Leisure. They’re essentially holding up a mirror to all of us and the message does hit home. Slow down folks, and if you can’t do that, get some help.
At the performance I attended, they did manage to get all of it done in record time, but even if they had failed, I wouldn’t expect any money back. For 65 minutes their “near burnout” is pure entertainment for the rest of us. It’s packed with suspense: will they succeed? There’s humor: just watch one of the guys attempt to change into a Speedo without embarrassing himself. There’s also a satisfying catharsis. And given the added option of having a drink at the bar before or after, “burnout”, at least when others are threatened with it, is “paradise” indeed.
Burnout Paradise opened November 14, 2024, at St. Ann’s Warehouse and runs through December 1. Tickets and information: stannswarehouse.org
