The government is feeding you lies. The Numberless are here to bring you the truth of what really happened. No, this isn’t a story ripped from conspiracy theorist’s website; this is RISE OF THE NUMBERLESS, a new glam rock production playing at the Flat Iron Arts Building in Wicker Park. So don those four cornered glasses, skinny jeans, and scarves and get ready to rebel – hipster style.

From the moment you arrive at the Flat Iron you are brought into a rebellious movement that has been going on for generations. You are greeted by ‘the Numberless,’ (the cast already in character) and offered cans of PBR and ear plugs (both of which I highly recommend you take). I thankfully had a seat in front of a speaker, but much of the audience was left standing in true underground-fight-the-power rally fashion. Throughout the 90 minute show (without intermission), the ensemble cast tell their story of a futuristic/historic/quasi realistic/science fiction world where a group of underground throwaway Americans rebel against their government for acknowledgement and equality.

The basic story :: in the future Congress passes a law mandating that each family is only allowed to have one child who is then encoded with a number on their wrist. Any additional child a family produces is illegal, given no number (hence the ‘numberless’) and sent to live in secrecy in pods across the country, their very existence denied by the government. This all occurred 25 years ago according to the play, making this an interesting past/future timeline. The Numberless are now fighting back and we learn the history of the each member, tragic events that lead to the downfall of their first rebellion, and their resurgence into normal society.

The interesting story and history of the Numberless are told by the ensemble cast of ‘RISE OF THE NUMBERLESS’ through monologues, reenactments and of course glam rock. Some of the pieces are better than others and some cast members shine much more brightly in this loud, foot stomping performance and as an audience member, you must have a willing suspension of disbelief and an uncanny ability to follow the storyline. It is a little jumpy in parts, but the cast does a fairly good job at distinguishing past events from present events through their eyes. As you are brought into the numberless world of rebellion and rock, try not to dissect the story too much (even the Hunger Games left the reader with a lot questions about the context and environment). The play is not about the finite details, it’s about escapism, and ‘RISE OF THE NUMBERLESS’ is a departure into another world (be it historic or futuristic) for 90 minutes of your life. Enjoy the ride, but be warned if you are not a fan of dark crowded spaces, standing for a 90 minute show, or are simply don’t like loud eardrum-erupting music,  ‘NUMBERLESS’ might not be for you. But the music is actually very good and the songs and lyrics are all original. Audiences looking for a departure, or a little bit of fight-the-power energy, head to Wicker Park and see ‘NUMBERLESS,’ you won’t be disappointed. Careful though, you could be found to be a Numberless sympathizer and be jailed, banished into exile, or killed. Totally worth the risk to see it.