Fight For America! A Tabletop Wargaming Event

FIGHT FOR AMERICA!

on NPR's Weekend Edition

Co-created by Neal Wilkinson & Christopher McElroen

Neal Wilkinson: Lead Design

Christopher McElroen: Artistic Director

Alessio Cavatore: Game Developer

Christina Tang & Jess Shen: Co-Lighting Design

Daniel Dobson: Sound Design

Austin Switser: Video Design

Dana Watkins: Game Master

Stephen May: Miniature Design

Emerson Rosa: 3D Printing Designer

Capitol model printed by 3D Printing Room

Erica Laird: Producing Director

55B Productions: Associate Producer

Adrian Cameron: AV Programmer/Board Operator

Keeley Heagerty: Production Assistant

Dannah Kelly: Social Media Manager

Press Inquiries: Cultural Counsel at theamericanvicarious@cultural

counsel.com

Produced by the american vicarious and created by artists Neal Wilkinson and Christopher McElroen, with game design by Alessio Cavatore, Fight for America! is a live performance installation that merges art, game design, and immersive storytelling.

At its core is a large-scale tabletop wargame that delves into the events of January 6th, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol, posing the question: What about America is worth fighting for?

Fight for America! invites participants to confront political extremism, division, and the repercussions of a win-at-all-costs mentality, challenging us to reconsider our understanding of America’s political landscape.

Through gameplay, we aim to reflect on how division threatens the very foundations of democracy. This project is not partisan; it’s about fostering unity through shared experiences and encouraging meaningful dialogue about the state of our nation.

Gameplay photographs by J. Elon Goodman

the american vicarious presents Fight for America!—a live, immersive, and participatory art installation that explores the gamification of American politics by placing you in the events of January 6th, 2021. Centered around a 20-player tabletop wargame, the installation emphasizes the necessity of your active and informed participation in democracy and challenges you to consider our role in maintaining its stability.

After a successful game-testing event held in NYC in January 2025, Fight for America! prepares for its World Premiere in London on June 8 to July 6, 2025. We invite participants to reflect on the urgency of deescalating political tensions in an increasingly divided landscape, while underscoring how the win-at-all-costs game mentality furthers the extreme polarization in American politics, threatening the nation’s foundational ideals.

In Fight for America!, you and 19 other players enter a room to find a 1:64 scale model of the U.S. Capitol Building, measuring 14 feet wide and 5 feet tall.

Surrounding the Capitol are 10,000 hand-painted 28mm miniature protestors, while 2,000 Capitol Police figures stand guard at its entrances.

You and your fellow players are divided into two teams, Red and Blue, and are briefed on the rules of the game.

In the first round, the Red team advances their figures towards the Capitol, while the Blue team decides to deploy tear gas. A roll of the dice determines the effect on the advancing group's morale, and the referee announces the outcome.

Suddenly, smoke fills the room. The Fight for America has begun!

“The peaceful transition of power is what will separate this country from every other country in the world."

- George Washington

FIGHT FOR AMERICA! WEBSITE

We Need You! Support Fight for America!, a non-profit project using participatory art to explore the stakes of democracy.

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To stay up to date on progress and where Fight For America! game play will take place, be sure to follow FFA! on social:

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