Last Call Theatre builds its shows around giving the audience real agency. In Debate Night you are volunteer staff for the presidential campaign of a U.S. senator seeking the Dignity Party nomination, on the night of the final primary debate. Her political future hangs in the balance and your job is to help her staff get her ready to take the stage.
After the introduction, you choose which staffer to work with. That decision shapes your experience for most of the evening. You’re sent to other characters with tasks and questions, then keep returning to your original staffer to help with their job. It all builds toward the debate itself.
One exchange early in the night stuck with me. The 23-year-old press secretary asked why the other side couldn’t just run on policy instead of smearing our candidate. “That’s not how politics work,” I answered aloud. I’ve wished for years that candidates would skip the mudslinging, but I’m thoroughly jaded about the whole thing. Hearing that question made me notice how automatic my own cynicism has become.
The cast does a fine job of keeping the story moving at a good pace. Many of the characters are deliberately outlandish and the performers commit fully to the absurdity. That commitment really helps allow the audience to jump into conversations and take on assignments rather than watch from a comfortable distance.
Last Call’s passion for immersive theatre comes through, too. There’s a clear desire to use the format to say something, not simply give people a story. The multimedia element (filmed pieces playing throughout the evening) fits naturally into a story built around a televised debate.
Debate Night has a passionate company, a committed cast, and a structure that gives its audience clear tasks. If you enjoy Last Call’s quest-driven, choose-your-own-adventure approach, there’s plenty here that will feel familiar, with the added urgency of a campaign heading into its final debate. The production also donates a percentage of its profits to the League of Women Voters.
Thank you to Last Call Theatre for inviting me to previews.
Created and directed by Alex Borja, Debate Night previewed on November 3 and runs November 6–21, 2026, at The Teapot inside Geeky Teas and Games in Burbank.
Info: https://www.lastcalltheatre.com
Tickets are listed at $65–$80. Check the official ticket page for available performance dates and times.
The experience lasts approximately 90 minutes. Please note you will be on your feet for the majority of the show, so wear comfortable shoes.
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