For his project at High Desert Test Sites, Lior Shvil created a political theatre for a civilian audience by recreating a specific selection of army training protocols that will be carried out by a group of twenty-four inexperienced participants, engaged in a simulated counterinsurgency exercise. Protocol X and its theatrical structure highlight the artifice of the situation and allow participants to reflect on the exercises with a more empathetic and analytical understanding of the complexity of each of the roles involved. The project was inspired by Shvil's interest in the urban combat training facilities at the 29 Palms Marine Base in nearby San Bernardino County, triggered by the artist's memories of similar training exercises that he experienced when he was in the military in Israel.