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A CurtainUp DC Review
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
By By Caitlin DeMerlis
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You are all a part of the play.—
Bilal Dardai, Neo-Futurist
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a scene from Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
(Photo: Colin Hoyde) |
Unique in its structure, Too Much Light provides a menu from which viewers must shout out suggestions. Every time the Neo-Futurists exclaim, Curtain! the audience must pick a new number, and the players on stage launch into the skit that corresponds to that number. Because of the set-up, every performance is in a new order, and each performance has at least one new skit.
Too Much Light boasts of truth, sincerity, and interactive performance, and accomplishes these things without hokey elements akin to those of children's theatre. The players not only involve the audience by allowing them to choose the numbers but at certain points also wander into the crowd. They're not afraid to interact with audience members, ask them questions, touch them, give them gifts, and pull a very select few on stage.
As stated before the timer starts, the players are not acting as different characters but as themselves placed in various locales and in various situations. The skits are truthful, and come from the lives of the members of the company. Throughout the show, the team seems to test the audience's trust which results in both entertainment and internal debate.
The collection of 30 short plays aim to be performed in a mere 60 minutes. The large timer ticking away, adds a twinge of anxiety to the evening as to whether the performers can they get through everything in just 60 minutes. The plays range from monologue, to one-liners, to journeys into the audience, to music-inspired action. But don't expect to see the same things night after night. At the end of every show, the Neo-Futurists have an audience member roll a giant yellow dice. The number rolled is the number of old sketches which are replaced by the same number of new sketches—for the very next night.
It's quick, it's dirty, it's political at times and funny at others. It's real, silly, inspiring, and unique and different every night — but it is certain to be entertaining. The Neo-Futurists control the art form that they claim tp be "a fusion of sport, poetry, and living-newspaper." It ain't A Christmas Carol, but it sure is a nice treat for the holidays.
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Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind Created by Greg Allen Written, Directed, and Performed by The Neo-Futurists Cast: Dec 7-10- Eliza Burmester, Bilal Dardai, Mary Fons-Misetic, Chloe Johnson, Jay Torrence; Dec 22-Jan 2- Bilal Dardai, Mary Fons-Misetic, John Pierson, Jay Torrence, Kristie Vuocolo Tech/Stage Managing: Alan Chaikin, Ann Allan, Jason Caballero Running time: 70 minutes Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street, NW Washington DC; 202-393-3939, www.woollymammoth.net From December 7, 2009 to January 2, 2010 Reviewed by Caitlin DeMerlis based on December 7, 2009 performance |
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