Venue: The Merrill Theater at On the Boards
Thursday, December 2 at 8pm
Friday, December 3 at 8pm
Saturday December 4 at 8pm
This show is approximately 2 hours long, with intermission
The Future is 0, presented by On the Boards and Sub Pop, is back for 3 nights
LIVE and in-person at On the Boards!
More information coming. Check back here soon, or sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out
The Future is 0 is a cult-comedy live game show where artist contestants compete in a dizzying array of mental, physical, and psychological challenges.
Hosted by Clay Buff and her counterpart producer Kat, The Future is 0 subverts the classic game show trope of a stuffy male host in a corny tie by swapping it for two manic women best friends creating the rules in their own universe. Intermittently dashing across the stage with outsized props and cue cards are a cadre of “unpaid interns”, showing up at just the right moment to move the show along. The show's contestants are comprised of up-and-coming artists and change every episode.
The Future is 0 evokes the feeling of a contemporary PeeWee's playhouse, grounded in the anxiety-provoking realities of our everyday existence. Contestants compete in challenges like "Isolation Station", where a single contestant is trapped inside a studio apartment and must answer questions about loneliness and isolation in order to make rent. In another challenge, contestants are workers in “Tech Co.'s" fulfillment center and must tear through cardboard shipping boxes as they move down an assembly line to find an elusive, golden health insurance card. Come to an episode of The Future is 0 and you’ll find yourself shouting out missives on cue cards or texting in from your seat to vote in an audience poll.
With original music, unique animations, produced video segments, and absurdist games, the show weaves together biting social commentary, fun imaginative visuals, in an enchanting live experience you won't soon forget. Now in its seventh year, The Future is 0 has performed in a living room, the Neptune Theatre, Northwest Film Forum, a secret backyard, online, and now LIVE at On the Boards.
City Arts called it "a parody/not-parody game show that veers from existentialist social theory to slapstick goofballism in the buzz of a countdown clock. It's ridiculous, hilarious, baffling and profound [...] and easily one of the most unique entertainment institutions currently happening in Seattle.”
"They're blurring the boundaries of reality and television, and breaking stereotypes in genre and gender. It's where comedy and commentary collide on stage." -KOMO 4 TV
Contestants
Bree McKenna (Tacocat) is a musician and writer who has split her time playing in Tacocat, Childbirth and Who Is She? while moderating the teen songwriting workshop Sharing the Stage and the Hugo House Songwriting Challenge. As a writer, McKenna’s work has appeared in She Shreds, Vice, Talkhouse, the Stranger, and Bust Magazine.
Leeni Ramadan (Prom Queen) is a musician, filmmaker, and comedian who enjoys long walks, but not on beaches. Walking in sand is hard!
Liv Thomas (LIVt) is a Pacific Northwest Native (to be specific, from the 253) who at her core, values creativity, living freely, and the service of others. Mimicking the northwest weather, she describes her music as laidback, sometimes dark, but always soulful. Her music is a reflection on love, what it means to be black and outspoken as well as what it takes to get out of your own way and be whoever you want. Be damned anyone else.
Alda Agustiano (Chong the Nomad) is one of the fastest rising songwriters in the Emerald City. At 24, Chong has already earned “Top Album” recognition from The Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, The Stranger and KEXP
Erik Molano is the co-founder and creative director of Photon Factory, a hybrid organization that is half design studio and half cultural space. He is a hyperactive and curious human, and exists to create spaces filled with connection, creativity, and play.
Lillie West is a musician and artist who primarily records under the moniker Lala Lala. In addition to music and art she is obsessed with reading and earthships.
Jas Keimig is a staff writer at The Stranger, where they cover visual art, film, stickers, and culture.
Tomo Nakayama is a singer/songwriter whose melodic, complex, and emotionally compelling music has been praised by NPR, New York Times, and KEXP. His latest album "Melonday" debuted at #1 on the NW Charts and was named one of the Top Albums of 2020 by Seattle Times.
Shannon Perry is a lifelong Seattle resident, and contributor to local art and music communities. With nearly a decade in the tattoo industry, she and her partner co-run their shop, Tattoo Pizzazz, located off Alki Beach. They live in West Seattle with their two year old son Beetle and dogs Potato Chip and Ruby. Shannon hopes to start work on a solo album soon.
About the Artists
Partners
This project is supported by an artist grant through 4Culture
