Theater review by Raven Snook
If you feel stressed and overworked, the members of the Australian performance collective Pony Cam can relate. Burnout Paradise is their way of transforming the Sisyphean hamster wheel of modern life into exhilarating entertainment. As an onstage clock ticks down, four athletic actors—some of them noticeably injured—attempt to complete a series of tasks while running on treadmills. Their assignments range from the everyday (shaving, waxing, shampooing) to the much more ambitious (performing Shakespeare, filling out a grant application, cooking a three-course meal). Straining to do it all, they depend on audience volunteers to help out by retrieving stray tomatoes, playing bingo, shooting hoops, even dancing at an impromptu rave.
Burnout Paradise | Photograph: Courtesy Austin Ruffer
On paper, Burnout Paradise may seem like a show that, as though on a treadmill itself, is fated to go nowhere. But in practice, it is both an amusing indictment of our soul-crushing go-go-go ethos and a gleeful conjuring of community. Those who choose to take part in the challenges seem to have a blast; even just watching, you find yourself surprisingly invested in the ever-mounting chaos. Organized into four 12-minute rounds, the show has the electric suspense of a sporting event: Will the performers complete their assignments and beat their record mileage before the buzzer sounds? If they don't, you can ask for a full refund, though it’s hard to imagine you’ll want one.
Burnout Paradise | Photograph: Courtesy Austin Ruffer
I first saw Burnout Paradise in its brief 2024 run at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse, and it was one of my favorite theatrical experiences of that season. Although the cramped Astor Place Theatre is less friendly to audience participation, revisiting the show provided a welcome rush of kamikaze joy. The four runners—Claire Bird, William Strom, Dominic Weintraub and Hugo Williams—are marvelous multitaskers, as quick with their quips as they are with their pace. Ava Campbell serves as a charming ringmaster, explaining the rules, overseeing the timer, handing out Gatorade and playfully pushing Pony Cam merch. Together, they offer a unique adrenaline-fueled performance every night. Exhaustion has never been so invigorating.
Burnout Paradise. Astor Place Theatre (Off Broadway). Written and performed by Pony Cam. Running time: 1hr 15mins. No intermission.
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Burnout Paradise | Photograph: Courtesy Austin Ruffer
