In “Fight Night,” democracy is at work, not politics

Are you counting down the days until the votes are counted? Need a fix, just a little more of the icky rush that can only come from election coverage? Or are you stressed about the state of democracy but can't hear a single political slogan without feeling uneasy? UCSB's Arts & Lectures has the answer Fight nightan experiential theater piece conceived by the Belgian art group Ontroerend Goed that shows the mechanisms of democracy at work. This show has been touring the world for more than a decade and has received excellent critical acclaim, including at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Fight night transforms the audience into a micronation by inviting them to vote on the show's featured “contestants.” Angelo Tijssens, the show's “host,” calls the production a “show about democracy, not a show about politics.” Upon entering the venue, each audience member is given a voting device that they can use to answer poll questions or vote for statements throughout the show. “We don’t offer scenarios; we simply ask questions. My first question is: “Have you paid for your ticket?” It is a journey that we are taking together,” says Tijssens. “We use the metaphor of a theater performance to talk about democracy.”

As candidates are voted positively or negatively by the audience, astute viewers may recognize the subtle inflections at work through the clever use of nuanced, influential language and a sophisticated sense of audience empathy. In more than a decade of performing this show, Tijssens says he is rarely surprised by audience choices regarding his voting trends – people tend to be similarly influenced by these tactics around the world. In this way, he says, it's not just that Fight night a love letter to democracy, but also a “strong warning against the tyranny of the majority”.

Watch (and participate!) Fight night at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, in Campbell Hall on the UCSB campus. For more information, see bit.ly/47UWC0V.