Go toward the light…

I used to wish I had a crystal ball, in order that I could accurately predict the future. Actually, I do own one, but try as I might, it remains cloudy and useless to me as far as visions go. Therefore I have resorted to listening to my “inner voice,” gut instinct and the “World Wide Web” to glean bits of information that might aid in making informed decisions.

I had heard that the North American Cultural Laboratory ( nacl.org ) in Highland Lake, NY was presenting a show titled “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind,” created by the New York Neo-Futurists (NYNF) ( nynf.org ), a theatrical troupe that (according to the web) claims to “continue to expose and explore new artistic territory, consistent with their original mission to create interactive, highly personal, intellectually challenging material for the general public.”

Reading more about the company, I felt like severing my thumbs with a butter knife, rather than subject myself (much less anyone else) to this “theatrical event.” More Internet searching found buzz words like “empowering” and “life-affirming” which floated through my brain as I considered who should accompany me on the “journey of self-discovery”.

With no working crystal ball, I had to rely on that pesky intuition that urged me to check it out. None of my pals wanted to risk it, so I took a date, knowing full well that it might turn out to be a last-ditch effort to rekindle our relationship, with “last” being the operative word. As it turns out, the show was indeed, amazing... the date? Not so much.

“Neo-Futurism” has been described as a “new approach to performance which advocates the complete awareness of the actual world, within the theatre, to achieve a goal: to bring people a greater understanding of themselves and each other... life on stage.”

With sullen date in tow, I pulled in to the lot at the NACL with trepidation. In order to gain access to the theatre itself, one was required to gamble, with a toss of the dice, to determine how much it would cost to get in. I knew I was already taking a chance, so I waved my press pass at them and sauntered by, convinced that I was going to be sorry.

Conceived and directed by Greg Allen in 1988 at the Stage Left Theatre in Chicago, this show was originally written as an eight-person ensemble billed as an “ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes” shot through a canon with “speed, brevity, compression, dynamism and the explosion of preconceived notions.”

The program, which is presented as a “menu,” contained a list of titles and the audience is asked, throughout the evening, to randomly select which two-minute plays should be performed, and in what order. Rolling my eyes in disdain (mostly toward the date) I scanned the “laundry list” of selections and committed myself to participating. Number 5, “Let’s Grow Old Together” seemed like a stretch, considering my escort—but I screamed out the number as instructed, nevertheless.

Within the allocated two minutes, I was hooked. The packed house was clearly in the mood, and the company in the zone as they performed the “playlets” with lightning speed, vitality and zest. Enticing titles such as “Sticky Wall Guy,” “Why Women Aren’t Funny” and “How I Lost the 5th Grade Spelling Bee” were shouted out as the company leaped around the theatre, taking the audience along, having been informed that one of the goals was that the experience would help “people find a greater meaning in their everyday lives.”

Metaphorically, the show mirrored the date. More titles like “Let Go,” “Honestly” and “I’m An Experiment in Chance” resonated as I gave in to the infectious fun, tempered with moments of (IMHO) brilliance, pathos and biting, satirical wit. I left the theatre exhausted but inspired. While my relationship might be over, the journey is not and I felt empowered—again, as promised.

My final request, number 16, was titled “Why I Am Not Internet Dating Material” summed up the evening (and the date) and I left knowing that the company had fulfilled their mission: “To create interactive, highly personal, intellectually challenging material for the general public.”

I’ve already contacted NACL to thank them. Then I texted the date and called it quits. I probably should thank the Neo-Futurists as well, since they served as a peek into the crystal ball of what my love life had become. The NYNF performances “evolve and change on a daily basis”. Seems like a good approach to me. Can’t wait to see what the future (for them and for me) holds.

Email jonathanfox@riverreporter.com or visit workingwithoutanet.blogspot.com .