Above: Part One of “The Hammer Trinity.” Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Before there was television, or Netflix, or online streaming, our ancestors still found ways to ingest entertainment in large quantities. The ancient Greeks crowded amphitheaters to watch hours-long tragedies; Chinese opera might start in the morning and continue late into the evening, and include long munching breaks; in Shakespeare’s day, huge audiences would flock to open-air theaters to hear great stories and witness fantastic sets and colorful costuming.

Today we experience some of that as binge-watching marathons–but mostly privately, on a little tablet.

The always exciting House Theatre of Chicago is rectifying that missing public, communal link, with “The Hammer Trinity,” which will run in Miami at the Arsht Center on weekends from April 2 through May 8. It is a three-part fantasy play–approximately nine hours worth of play-watching, eating, drinking and just hanging out.

It’s a bold and ambitious idea. Yes, we watch “Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings” in endless loops, but even a two-hour play–well, our modern ADD minds find that excessive.

But playwrights Chris Mathews and Nathan Allen (who is also the director of the three-part show, as well as the House’s artistic director) think that a formula is still there: to create entertainment that allows an audience to be intimately involved in a live production. Like theater of old, this is meant to be an epic journey and an outing.

In fact, according to Allen, epic is the key. Referring back to Arthurian legends, this trilogy is an “origins” tale as well, updating the English mythology to tell the history of America. “We had been thinking about King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable,” Allen said, about the concept of equality that a round table suggests–no one is really above the other. “But then we thought about the tension between hero and leader” and kings and queens. “Eventually Camelot falls apart….we thought, ‘how can we be able to stay together?’”

Maybe by doing three plays revolving around a poor farmer’s son who ascends to the crown, in the pursuit of a hammer (the updated Excalibur sword) that will either unite or destroy the new country, where the audience is only feet from the action. During the breaks, when people are encouraged to bring picnics or sup in the cafés, the actors will intermingle.

From Part Two in “The Hammer Trinity.” Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Along the road that the young king and his fellow knights take–throughout “The Iron Stag King,” “The Crownless King” and “The Excelsior King”–they engage in battles, encounter dragons and discover magic. You know, full-on fantasy. “You experience this in a single day,” said Allen. “It’s big and fun and energizing. It’s theatrically thrilling and at the end of the day, we have all come together.”

The acclaimed House Theatre has had success in its previous five stops at the Arsht Center, for instance with 2012’s “Death & Harry Houdini,” a trek through the life of the famed illusionist, jam-packed with, what else, magic. That’s when New World School of the Arts acting grad Patrick Falcon first encountered the troupe and took a master class with them. He’s now part of the “Hammer” ensemble.

“The immediacy and the intimacy is incredible,” he said during a break from rehearsals. “You are inches away from the actors. Throughout the day you get to really know the characters. It’s an adventure. You’ll make new friends.”

From Part Three in “The Hammer Trinity.” Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Falcon and Allen stress that while this is theater, it’s far from stodgy or difficult. The House is trying to bring it into the world of 2016, relevant to those who love gaming, comic books and graphic novels.

One of the heroes of this “Trinity” is the Arsht Center, a Knight grantee. In its 10th anniversary year, the center is taking a risk with such a production for its 10@10 series. The House did perform this marathon once before, in its hometown of Chicago, but how Miami will react is a question. Which is why it is experimental and exciting. When the performing arts center first opened, downtown Miami was a wasteland in terms of culture, and whether or not it could sustain year-round programming was unknown. Would it stick to tried and true Broadway plays only, or push Miami into a brave new world? With “Hammer,” the latter is thankfully the path the Arsht has chosen.

“We need to celebrate the Arsht for taking a chance on this,” said Allen. “This can bring in new audiences and new experiences.”

Oh, and there will be stretching exercises during intermissions.

“The Hammer Trinity” from The House Theatre of Chicago, runs on weekends from April 2 through May 8, starting at 1 p.m. through 10:30 p.m. There are four intermissions and a one-hour dinner break. Performances take place in the Carnival Studio Theater in the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts (1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). Tickets are $150 for all three plays.