The Gameshelf

I went to see GAM3RS: The Play last night at the MIT Museum (265 Mass Ave). It was a lot of fun, and it was also free. Here's the summary from the MIT calendar:

GAM3RS is a one-man show written by Walter G. Meyer and Brian Bielawski that humorously explores the conflicts that arise when one man puts his online gaming life ahead of his work and relationship priorities. Part of MIT Museum's Student Night program. Performances will be followed by a talk-back with the guest performer and playwright. Event is free Friday and Saturday with doors opening at 7 PM.

Tech-support operator Steve (Brian Bielawski) is overqualified, underpaid, and around-the-clock dealing with vacuous customers, his harpy of a boss, and a girlfriend who doesn't seem to understand that rescuing an entire kingdom from utter annihilation at the hands of an army of bloodthirsty elves is at least as important as their anniversary or saving the manatees. And along the way he must convince his mother that uniting gamers from around the world in this noble cause takes precedence over re-applying to MIT. Steve, as his alter ego Boreas, must rescue the sacred relic and restore the kingdom's power--if his annoyed co-workers in his cubicle hell don't kill him first.

It was genuinely funny, filled with the type of language and humor you'd expect from a gamer geek, and it works really well as a one-man show. There was a talkback session with the co-creators after the one-hour show, and it was interesting, too.

It's playing again tonight (Saturday) at 8:00 at the MIT Museum. Free and open to the public.

I gather that they generally perform the play in Los Angeles and that they've performed it in New York as well, so you may get a chance to see it at some point even if you're not in Cambridge today. Also, they said that they're attempting to get it onto TV or the Web, so you may get a chance to see some form of it at a later date.

And speaking of webisodes, at the talkback session, someone mentioned The Guild, which I hadn't heard of before. I just watched the first episode, and it looks like it could be worth checking out if the idea of a humorous look at the lives of people with a gaming addiction appeals to you.

And speaking of games in general, I played Quiddler before the show with the people I came with. We got several people to comment on the game and one person (a child of, like, 10? I'm bad with ages) to join us. I had forgotten what it was like to be gaming in a public space and have people be interested. It was pretty cool doing a bit of game evangelism. I should do more of that.