Mayan Apocalypse: Party 'Til World's End

The ancient Mayan calendar ends on Dec. 21, and some people have interpreted that fact as an indicator of the end of the world.

The folks at art and theater collective Collaboraction have come together and decided that there's no better way to welcome the apocalypse than with a massive party. That's exactly what they decided to do with their latest interactive theater experience, "Our Last Night On Earth: A Countdown to the Mayan Apocalypse."

According to director Nathan Green, the show will directly involve the audience in the events of the story, making it more of an interactive experience than a traditional theatrical production. It will run at the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., from Dec. 13 to 22—assuming the world does not actually end in the interim.

The premise behind "Our Last Night On Earth" is that a secret society called the Society of the Feathered Serpent is throwing a party to ring in the apocalypse.

"They've been preparing for this day, the end of time, for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years," Green said. "And in 1913, when the Flat Iron Arts Building was built, they actually incorporated a secret room in the design of it. And that's where we're holding the final party to conclude the end of time and hopefully kick off a new age, if we all survive."

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Audience members will attend this party like any other, enjoying drinks and dancing until scripted events and actions by the cast—who will also be partygoers—interrupt things and move the narrative along.

Green said having the audience directly participate in the story presents some unpredictable variables for the cast to work with, but that there will be a certain structure and overall plan for how the evening unfolds.

"We have sort of prepared for different phases of the experience along the way," Green said. "And of course a lot of it is character-based, so we've got these really strong characters that are helping flesh out this narrative, and definitely specific things that happen at specific moments and surprises that happen that are definitely well thought out and scripted. So the audience is a tremendous variable in all of that ... "

While tickets will be sold at the door, Green said he encourages anyone interested in coming to order them online in advance. Special instructions will be sent to online purchasers to prepare them for some of the things they may experience. While Green didn't want to give away too many of the details, he did offer a bit of advice for anyone interested in attending.

"I will say that it's the end of the world, and we might recommend bringing a flashlight," he said. "Because in terms of your survival of these cataclysmic events, the last thing you want to do is be caught in the dark."

The listed showtime for each night is 8 p.m., but Green said the doors will open to partygoers around 7:30, with planned events kicking off sometime around 8:30 or so.

"And then it will last probably another hour or so, until the flames consume us all and the world comes to an end," he said. "But there'll be a countdown, so you'll know how much time is left."

For tickets or more information, visit Collaboraction's website.