Neo-Futurists perform ghoulish show

By Liam Hemming

On any given weekend, it’s not uncommon to see throngs of people waiting in line in front of The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. In fact, lines sometimes get so long that not everyone who waits will be guaranteed a seat when the doors open at 11 p.m. (6:30 p.m. on Sundays).

Those lucky enough to be admitted are given a small token to hold on to (a button, a marble, a plastic cowboy figurine) as a means of proving they are one of the chosen.

Then it’s up a flight of stairs, through a hallway-where walls are covered with former presidents’ caricatures-and into a room where there are two doorways, one on either side of a small stage. After a few more minutes have elapsed, one of the cast members will jump on the stage and, at the top of their lungs, yell, “Welcome to ‘Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind’!” And the show hasn’t even begun.

“Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” is a funny, sad, outspoken, thought-provoking and slapstick show all at once.

TML also occasionally creates theme-based shows, as is the case with this year’s Halloween show. Having started in 1988, it is now the longest-running show in Chicago today, according to the Neo-Futurist website. The basic premise of the show is the cast’s attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes. Each of the plays is written by a performer, then refined by the cast and thrown in with 29 other plays. The audience, who yells out numbers at random, dictates the order in which the plays are performed. The one thing that all of the performances have in common is the cast members always appear as themselves onstage and speak from personal experience, lending an element of raw honesty to every word and movement.

“The last couple of years I have been toying with dark themes in TML,” said John Pierson, Neo-Futurist cast member since 1996 and marketing coordinator for the theater. “So I have a good amount of appropriate material to go into the Halloween show this time around. I also enjoy dressing up in costume and how it affects the show. I am strict about Halloween; if you are not dressing up as something dead then it doesn’t count, in my book.”

The Halloween show will be performed thoughout the weekend, but patrons will only get the full experience of costumes, decorations and extra audience participation on Halloween night. Though not their first Halloween show, it does not run every year. According to Pierson, theme shows are highly dependent on the excitement of the cast. If there is a group who wants to pursue the difficult task of organizing and putting one on, it happens.

“We usually go all out when it comes to decorating for the theme shows,” said Jay Torrence, seven-year ensemble member and artistic director for the theater. “And about a third to a half of our plays will explore the broad topic of Halloween concepts. It’s sure to be a twist on people’s traditional expectations of everything the holiday represents.”

Apart from shows, The Neo-Futurarium also offers improvisational workshops.

Corey Craig, a volunteer at the theater, said, “[The workshops] really get your creative juices flowing. Some assignments are very specific, and some are very broad, but everyone takes things in vastly different directions. It’s also really interesting to work with other people in that type of creative environment.”

Whether those interested in the theater would like to participate or just watch, “Too much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” is guaranteed to produce something spontaneous, fun and emotional for their viewing pleasure. The passionate cast puts their own spin on what it means to spend an evening at the theater. No matter the night, the results are nothing short of spectacular.

Entrance into “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” is $7 + ($1 multiplied by the number rolled on a single six-sided die) or $8-$13. Additional information, including classes and workshops available, can be found at NeoFuturists.com.