Neofuturists

What if I told you that right here, at the Neofuturists, the line between reality and performance blurs? The Neofuturists, founded in Chicago in 1988 by Greg Allen, aren’t your typical theater troupe. They’ve built their reputation on a unique blend of honesty, speed, and brevity, drawing inspiration from the early 20th-century Italian Futurist movement. The Neofuturists’ aesthetic is all about non-illusory performance. The actors play themselves. The stage is the stage. The time is now. If a performer shares a story, it’s a story from their real life. Their signature show, “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” (or TML for short), is a whirlwind of 30 plays crammed into 60 minutes. The audience decides the order, shouting out numbers from a menu. Every weekend, dice rolls determine which plays get replaced, keeping the show fresh and unpredictable. The Neofuturists aren’t afraid of failure. In fact, they embrace it as a key ingredient in their honest and immediate connection with the audience. Their plays are a kaleidoscope of genres and tones: political satire, deeply personal reflections, absurd comedy, poignant tragedy. They even published books and recordings of their plays, sharing their unique brand of theater with a wider audience. The Neofuturists have expanded beyond Chicago, with branches in New York City, San Francisco, and London. They continue to push the boundaries of theater, creating a space where life and art intertwine. Here at the Neofuturists, the present moment is everything. The connection between performer and audience is palpable. It’s a theatrical experience that is as raw and real as it gets.