Animal Hour

An American Idol-style host puts three naïve contestants through a series of difficult and demeaning tasks in the name of live reality theatre, while competing for alpha-male dominance with a staunch live band (dressed in animal costumes and doubling as the judging panel). As the competition wears on, the challenges get more bizarre, the logic looser, and the rules more arbitrary. SImilarly to Drowning Bird, the structure is a collage, weaving together confessional spoken text, dance, music, and task-driven actions. We toured these two shows together as Elimination Rounds. The game that became Break Up started as part of this show.