New York Neo Futurists Cast Photo by Jennifer Nguyen/Courtesy of McLean Community Center
Where and When
New York Neo Futurists perform “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” at the Alden Theatre, McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. McLean.
Performance: Saturday, April 16, at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $25/$15 MCC tax district residents.
Call 703-790-123 or visit http://www.mcleance…">www.mcleancenter.org.
Headlined by Mike Puckett, a 2008 Centreville High School graduate, the New York Neo Futurists return to the Alden by audience demand. Armed with a clothesline and a menu of titles, the “Neo’s” create an exhilarating one-of-a-kind theater experience in collaboration with the Alden patrons. It is 60 minutes of “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.”
“The audience is crucial to the success of the evening’s entertainment. The audience is our key and are equals,” said Puckett. “They help decide how the evening will progress from scene to scene.”
If you have not seen the Neo’s before; here is how it works. The audience gets to shout out play titles from a menu they are provided. The titles are from a playlists of some 4000 different scenarios the Neo’s have amassed. On stage, the performers try to beat the clock ticking away so they successfully complete their task of performing 30 very different rapid plays chosen by total strangers in an allotted 60 minutes.
The Neo’s perform plays that can be topical, political, and personal or based upon absurd things from everyday real life. The overall effect is fast and immediate as the plays range in time from less than a minute in length to others that can be over 3 minutes. .
There is also audience participation as the theatre troupe will invite Alden patrons onto the stage or bound off the stage into the aisles and perhaps into the sets to tease and cavort with the on-lookers. “It is all in good fun, of course,” noted Puckett.
Sarah Schallerin, director, performing arts, Alden Theatre, McLean Community Center, invited audiences to the joy of joining the New York Neo Futurists community of devotees, whether for the first time or a returnee. “This is theatre for people who want to be part of the action, love a rush of adrenaline, take a little of everything from the buffet,” said Schallerin with a sly grin in a recent interview.
Alden staff will be at the Neo’s performance to obtain feedback from patrons. This provides an opportunity to offer reactions to the Neo Futurist’s performance. Now that is personal, on-the-spot customer service which can have impact on the Alden’s next season of performances.
Join the party, take part and enjoy in the cozy confines of the Alden Theatre. It is right in the nearby neighborhood--an evening of one-of-a-kind theatre.