Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are a Chicago-based avant-garde theater troupe best known for their long-running production, “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.”
Greg Allen is the Founder of The Neo-Futurists and creator of ‘Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes)’ which has been running in Chicago since 1988 and New York City since 2004. He has written and directed over 50 original productions including 27 for The Neo-Futurists. ‘K.’ his adaptations of Kafka’s ‘The Trial’, won him the Best Director Award at the New York International Fringe Festival and an After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts for three of his last productions including ‘The Last Two Minutes of the Complete Work of Henrik Ibsen’ which had very successful runs at the Village Theater NYC and Northlight Theater in Chicago. His show ‘The Complete Lost Works of Samuel Beckett As Found In An Envelope (partially burned) In A Dustbin In Paris Labeled ‘Never to be performed. Never. Ever. EVER! Or I’ll Sue. I’LL SUE FROM THE GRAVE!!!!” won the Best Comedy Award in 2000 and was remounted in 2006 as one of the ‘ten best shows of the decade’ by the New York Fringe. ‘Beckett’ will have its 12th international mounting this fall at The Neo-Futurarium. Greg teaches playwriting and performance at theUniversity of Chicago, and conducts residencies in Neo-Futurism at The Actors Theatre of Louisville and universities and theater programs across North America.
John Pierson has been a Neo-Futurist for eleven years. He is also known as John Jughead Pierson the founding member of the legendary punk band Screeching Weasel and the revolutionary acoustic punk band called Even In Blackouts. And under another pseudonym, ian pierce, he has written, produced and published over 20 plays and one novel, so far, called Weasels In A Box.
Dina Connolly has been a Neo-Futurist for five years. In addition to writing and performing for Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, she has also appeared in Neo Prime Time shows The Last Two Minutes of the Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen, Neo-Solo, Contraption, and most recently Picked Up. Dina has performed in lots of other plays around Chicago, but she won’t bore you with the details. Dina thinks you’re swell for being here. You’re the cat’s meow.
Kristie Koehler Vuocolo has been a Neo-Futurist for five years where you can see her in Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind on most weekends in Chicago. Kristie has also performed in the Neo-Futurists’ prime time productions of ‘Patriots,’ and co-directed ‘Roustabout - the Great Circus Train Wreck’ with fellow ensemble member Jay Torrence. Kristie is a member of Barrel of Monkeys, a theater company that teaches creative writing in Chicago Public Elementary Schools. In her spare time, she’s a clown and the Supervisor for the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit in Chicago. This show goes out to Aunty Peg. WONderful.
Jay Torrence has been a Neo-Futurist since 2002 writing and performing regularly in ‘Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind’. He also wrote and performed in ‘Roustabout: The Great Circus Train Wreck’ which was awarded Best New Work and Best Production by Gay Chicago’s 2007 After Dark Awards. Jay most recently played Quasimodo in Redmoon Theater’s 2007 remount of ‘Hunchback’. Jay grew up in the Amish hills of Ohio and wishes to thank his parents and family for their constant support.
March 23rd, 2008 at 12:38 pm
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