Thirty plays. Sixty minutes. One stage. Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is the newest play scheduled for release at BBCHS February 23-25, 2017, at 7 p.m.

    This outrageous and extremely original play is like no other. “It’s gonna have an SNL type of attitude” said the play’s director, Mr. Stefan Benoit, who has previously directed productions such as, Scapino! and The Great Gatsby. Originally performed in 1988, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is the longest-running show in Chicago. Created by the Neo-Futurists, who approach theatre from a different perspective with their productions aimed to present actual life on stage with no false reality. The Neo-Futurists describe their shows as, “You are who you are. You are where you are. You are doing what you are doing. The time is now. There is no suspension of disbelief.”

    After the tremendous success of Beauty and the Beast, it seems there is nothing that can top the magic of the Disney show. Benoit, however, is certain this play is going to be impactful and unique. Unlike ordinary productions that stick to a tight script and a straightforward narrative, Too Much Light has 30 plays, roughly two minutes in length, that are performed within a timed 60 minute runtime. Failure for the cast to complete the 30 plays in the 60 minutes will result in some sort of outrageous punishment. “Something like what you would see on the television show, Impractical Jokers” Benoit added with a smile.

    Audience members will be ecstatic to find out they will be involved in the show as well. One play in particular will have cast members calling a pizzeria to order a pizza, with audience members shouting out toppings. Upon his or her arrival, the pizza deliverer will then be brought onto stage and welcomed to be a part of the show. The plays will be numbered 1-30, all completely original and different than the last with the audience dictating the order in which they’re performed. This will require the actors to memorize all 30 plays, their lines, and be able to perform any play within a matter of seconds. Some are easier than others to memorize, thankfully, with 0ne play numbered 9, simply requiring the cast to run around the auditorium screaming, “Nine! Nine! Nine!”

    For those who are interested in auditioning for the show, auditions will be held after school on Tuesday and Thursday of December 6 and 8. The auditions will be very different from those of previous shows. Instead of being given a script to read from, the actors will be given a topic with two minutes to prepare, then get on stage and act out their topic or scenario for the director. Actors will be expected to stop and start at random in order to demonstrate their improv skills by acting out different characters. The cast will most likely consist of 10 people, five boys and five girls. This is indeed a show worth seeing and being a part of, any talented actors are strongly encouraged to audition. “We’re going to push Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind because it is something completely different than anything that is being done in this county!” Benoit exclaimed. This is a show like no other; there really is nothing quite like, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.