I’m not certain whether the creators of Ragnarok really intended for their show to be reviewed. As director Stephen Schmitz put it in the show’s program, “…I invite you into the heads of people ultra-engaged in a kind of theatre. Theatre of the mind and body, dutifully performing shows with power and scope that surely rivals that of traditional theatre, and yet they do it for no audience, no money, and no accolades, other than the ones they receive from their peers. Alive in the park, they are immune to your judgement, deaf to your critiques, and blissful in their self-created realm.”

Mr. Schmitz was writing about Live Action Role Players (LARPs), the subject of Ragnarok, but he could have been referring to the members of Circle Circle dot dot, the company of young aspiring theatre professionals who are committed to “community-based theatre.” That is, they work collaboratively to make theatre out of stories of some import to their self-defined community. The company’s first production, The Break Up Break Down, appeared to have been drawn from the relationship break-up experiences of its' members. In Ragnarok, company members approached the LARP community with a goal of learning enough about it to tell an interesting story.

And I’m happy to report that they’ve succeeded to a substantial degree. As written by company member Katherine Harroff (presumably with ample participation of company members), LARPs serve as a backdrop for a meditation on the fragility of individual identity, as reflected in the life cycle of a group. In other words, this show is also about a break-up, but this time the insight is palpable.

The group begins when four young men who’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons together decide that they would be happier doing an activity that takes place outdoors and provides an opportunity for physical exercise. Clayton (Brendan Cavalier) makes the suggestion to form the group but then steps aside to allow Neil (Patrick Kelly), who is excited about making LARP the group’s activity, to become leader. The others in the initial group include Danny (James P. Darvas), who is socially anxious, and Gerald (Adrian Brown), who is interested in meeting women but who hangs with the guys instead.

Finding park space in which to practice, the young men soon attract the attention of two female LARPs, opinionated Bri (Sam Ginn) and her silent friend, Dot (Ms. Harroff.) Though initially wary of including women in the group, the men give it a try and find that the women are good fighters. Soon, Travis (Julio Jacobo) also joins successfully. The group works on its battle skills and makes plans to attend Ragnarok, a summer gathering of LARPers, supposedly held annually at a campground in Ohio (though, actually the most recent gathering was held in a campground in Pennsylvania.) Through practice, members find that they are becoming cohesive as a group and that as individuals they are becoming more self-assured and confident. A genuine affection develops among them.

One day, another group of LARPers arrives. This group consists of seductive Lily (Soroya Rowley), hot-headed Lionel (Evan Kendig) and peacemaker Jeremy (Rich Soublet.) Bri immediately prophesizes that Lily will make sexual rivals out of the men and ruin the group, but the rest, thinking that these three will give them the strength needed to make a good showing at Ragnarok, allow them to join.

Do I have to tell you that Bri’s prophesy comes to pass and instead of becoming stronger the group dissolves into conflict and breaks apart? No, I guess I didn’t. The ending isn’t entirely unhappy, though, and in keeping with the moralistic tone that underlies LARP activities, there is a satisfying moral to the story.

Now, I should warn you that group-developed theatre pretty much inevitably ends up feeling like a workshop, or even sometimes like Judy and Mickey gathering their friends in the back yard by saying, “Let’s put on a show.” If you go thinking that you’re going to see completely realized characters and a fully developed story you’ll be disappointed. If you go understanding that it’s a work in progress but that even so the work you see may never progress beyond this point, you might well enjoy it.

Yes, most of the characters don’t have a complete arc (and Bri pretty much disappears once she issues her prophecy), but you can imagine what those arcs might be. Yes, the production is pretty bare-bones, but there’s creativity on display in the set and lighting design (by Kristen Flores and Kevin Liddell); in Matt Lescault-Wood’s sound design, which focuses on music to separate the scenes; and in especially in Melissa Coleman-Reed’s costumes, which succeed in looking homemade yet exotic.

Director Schmitz uses the stage well and mostly keeps the pace from flagging (and, provides decent fight choreography, though White Dragon Kung Fu gets a somewhat mysterious credit for “Advanced Stage Combat”.) Overall, the audience experience feels a fair amount like theatre and not so much like observed psychodrama.

Ragnarok performs through December 10 at downtown’s 10th Avenue Theatre. Be sure to check out the Circle Circle dot dot website for details about the development of the production and the company’s artistic philosophy.