Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
Encyclopedia
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes (TMLMTBGB) is the longest running show in Chicago
and the only open-run Off-Off-Broadway
show in New York. Starting in 1988, the show has run 50 weekends of the year since then. As its subtitle states, the show consists of 30 short plays performed in a 60 minute space, written, directed, and performed by a small ensemble called the Neo-Futurists
. The plays tend to be a mixture of autobiography and performance art
, as with much of the Neo-Futurists' work.
To date, three volumes of plays from the show have been published.
movement, and reflects their aesthetic of non-illusory theater, where, as they describe it, "all of our plays are 'set' on the stage on front of the audience. All of our 'characters' are ourselves... We do not aim to 'suspend the audience's disbelief' but to create a world where the stage is a continuation of daily life" (Allen 3).
The list of plays is perpetually rotating. Every week between two and twelve plays (determined by two rolls of a die by someone in the audience) are removed from the "menu" and replaced with new plays, written in the course of the week.
As part of a lighthearted tradition, when a particular evening sells out, the cast orders pizza from a local restaurant, allowing the audience to shout out toppings. Only a single pizza is ordered, however, which the entire audience must share.
in April 2004. The New York Neo-Futurists perform TMLMTBGB at the Kraine Theater in the East Village
. This production has its own ensemble members, and thus contains different short plays from the Chicago show. In 2006, the New York Neo-Futurists were the recipients of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards
Outstanding Performance Art Production.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the only open-run Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway theatrical productions in New York City are those in theatres that are smaller than Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres. Off-Off-Broadway theaters are often defined as theaters that have fewer than 100 seats, though the term can be used for any show in the New York City area that...
show in New York. Starting in 1988, the show has run 50 weekends of the year since then. As its subtitle states, the show consists of 30 short plays performed in a 60 minute space, written, directed, and performed by a small ensemble called the Neo-Futurists
Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are an experimental theater troupe founded by Greg Allen in 1988. Neo-Futurism, inspired by the Italian Futurist movement from the early 20th century, is based on an aesthetics of honesty, speed and brevity.-Aesthetic:...
. The plays tend to be a mixture of autobiography and performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, as with much of the Neo-Futurists' work.
History
Neo-Futurism as an aesthetic, as well as the format of TMLMTBGB, are both creations of founder Greg Allen, although, due to the changing roster of plays in TMLMTBGB, Allen has not actually had a play in the show at all times during its run. Greg Allen came up with the name Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, from a young autistic child who would smash light bulbs and say, "Too much light makes the baby go blind". Later, when he was creating this show, the saying came back to his mind.To date, three volumes of plays from the show have been published.
Tone of the show
The show is the work of the Neo-FuturistsNeo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are an experimental theater troupe founded by Greg Allen in 1988. Neo-Futurism, inspired by the Italian Futurist movement from the early 20th century, is based on an aesthetics of honesty, speed and brevity.-Aesthetic:...
movement, and reflects their aesthetic of non-illusory theater, where, as they describe it, "all of our plays are 'set' on the stage on front of the audience. All of our 'characters' are ourselves... We do not aim to 'suspend the audience's disbelief' but to create a world where the stage is a continuation of daily life" (Allen 3).
Structure
The ticket price for the show is random, with a fixed number (currently $9 for the Chicago show and $11 for the New York Show) being added to the roll of a six-sided die for each person. Upon payment, a member of the cast shouts "What's your name?" at the audience member before giving him or her a nametag with a random and unrelated "name". Audience members are given a "menu" of play titles, and plays are selected by audience members shouting their number, with the first number heard being the play performed. Many of the plays contain an improv element; plays end when a member of the cast shouts "curtain!"The list of plays is perpetually rotating. Every week between two and twelve plays (determined by two rolls of a die by someone in the audience) are removed from the "menu" and replaced with new plays, written in the course of the week.
As part of a lighthearted tradition, when a particular evening sells out, the cast orders pizza from a local restaurant, allowing the audience to shout out toppings. Only a single pizza is ordered, however, which the entire audience must share.
New York Troupe
A second Neo-Futurist company was founded in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in April 2004. The New York Neo-Futurists perform TMLMTBGB at the Kraine Theater in the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. This production has its own ensemble members, and thus contains different short plays from the Chicago show. In 2006, the New York Neo-Futurists were the recipients of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards
New York Innovative Theatre Awards
The New York Innovative Theatre Awards were founded in 2004. These annual awards honor excellence in Off-Off-Broadway Theatre and help nurture and promote the Off-Off-Broadway community.-Mission statement:...
Outstanding Performance Art Production.