By Matthew Wexler
They say the whole is greater than the sum of the parts it’s made of. Australian artist collective Pony Cam’s Burnout Paradise is on a mission to prove if that’s true. Spanning four timed rounds, four members of the company attempt to complete an eclectic task list with the help of a (hopefully) enthusiastic audience. Oh, and one not-so-minor detail: they’re on treadmills.
The premise asks us to care if, together, they can cook an Italian meal from scratch, complete a grant application, and perform special talents that would put even a Miss Teen USA contestant to shame.
A wave of participatory productions is swelling the ranks of NYC theaters this winter, from the depressing sing-along at Night Side Songs to Every Brilliant Thing starring Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway. But unlike those, Pony Cam avoids sentimentality. They’ve got a mission to accomplish: you’re either on board, or you’re useless.
Inside ‘Burnout Paradise’: how the chaos actually works
Pony Cam’s loose structure includes themes for each treadmill: leisure, performance, admin, and survival, with the runners/performance artists rotating through each round and picking up one another’s tasks where they’ve left off.
A combination of low-brow (chugging beer, using hair removal strips) and high-brow (sourcing resumes, collaborators, and real-time visual assets for the aforementioned grant) keeps audiences guessing what might happen next. And to raise the stakes, they offer to refund everyone’s money if they fail.
Mission accomplished at the performance I attended, thanks in no small part to a bevy of participants dashing onstage, translating French, and gleefully participating in the organized chaos.
Did I experience a vicarious endorphin rush after watching the cast collectively run over 17 miles? Not exactly. But it didn’t really matter. Their enthusiasm was irresistible. I declined to leap out of my seat at one of the many prompts, but I did email a photo I took mid-performance, per the admin treadmill’s request. He responded in real time, which admittedly felt special.
Burnout Paradise stacks the odds against itself—then runs right through them.
Is ‘Burnout Paradise’ worth seeing?
4 out of 5 stars
Burnout Paradise is participatory theater with a pulse. Chaotic by design, irresistible in execution.
- Astor Place Theatre, 434 Lafayette Street, New York City
- Notable performers: Claire Bird, Ava Campbell, William Strom, Dominic Weintraub, and Hugo Williams
- Running time: 70 minutes, no intermission
- Performances through June 28, 2026
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