We've Moved! We miss you! Come visit us!

Remember a couple weeks ago, when Bilal let you in on our plans to launch a brand-spanking-new website? Well, the site has launched, the rocket is in orbit, the stars have aligned, this metaphor has worn out its welcome...

The point is, the new website is here, and it came with a brand new blog too! So come visit us at neofuturists.org/blog to find out what we are up to, because we miss you already.

AND when you do visit the new blog, take a minute to say hello to Lizi Breit, in the second post of our Anablog series, where we ask the writer/performers of Analog 10 silly questions and they humor us by answering them.

Anablog: The Enigmatic Tim Reid

Our next Prime Time production, Analog, created by Kurt Chiang and directed by Tif Harrison, opens March 1st. (Go get your tickets. Nowish.) In Analog, Kurt's real-life process of transcribing Lord of the Flies is collaged with the personal narratives of five different writer-performers in a visceral exploration of the concept of "Fate."

This post is the first in a series where we ask each of the Analog artists 10 questions in an effort to introduce you to them, and give you a little insight into what has inspired and challenged them during the Analog process. So meet one of Analog's 5 writer-performers, and Neo-Futurist alum, Tim Reid:

1.    Quick! First five words that come to mind when you think of Analog

_______, _______, _______, _______, _______

2.    What people/experiences/artists inspired you the most in writing for the show?

Emily Mast, Chicago, email, Shoghig Halajian, my back yard, John Beer

3.    What has been the most exciting or stimulating part of the Analog creative process?

for a few days in Los Angeles, I listened to mp3s of rehearsals while driving to work – if not completely exciting or stimulating, it was definitely something, a very unique part of this process.

4.    What has been the most challenging part of the Analog creative process?

the end  this part

5.    Do you believe in fate?

no  yes

6.    What kinds of artistic experiences do you tend to enjoy the most?

big, clean, Leslie Buxbaum Danzig's, and ones that friends show me or take me to

7.    What turns you off big time?

a kind of confusion  the next week, when you kept texting me

8.    What are you listening to right now? Reading? Watching? Eating? Drinking?

Ezra Buchla, coffee, Sebald, Ribs ‘n Bibs, Girls

9.    Are you a righty or a lefty?

Are you talking about my hands?
righty, definitely

10.     Tell me something about yourself that would surprise me

You first.   I've never had a pet

World Premiere Preview (February 15-17, 2013)

As I write this, the Illinois State Senate just voted 34-21 to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill now goes to the House, where it will require 60 votes to move to Governor Quinn's desk, who has vowed to sign the bill into law should he be given the opportunity.

There remains, of course, the usual warnings about wantonly predicting the number of chickens, but we're going to hold out for hope that our home state is about to cross the fence over to the right side of history.

While we wait to see if the rest of the Illinois legislature is worth the money their campaign contributions have been printed on, let's do another weekend of Too Much Light, featuring seven new plays performed by Lily, Bilal, Megan, Ryan, and Brenda:

• Contact High On The Red Line (Brenda Arellano)
• A Belated Valentine for Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, As They Prepare to Picket My Alma Mater on the 28th of February (Lily Mooney)
• Shitty Trumpet and an Abacus (Ryan Walters)
• Catchphrase! Played Palpably Tense with Displaced Anger (Megan Mercier)
• I don't have much time for guests (Megan Mercier)
• Mask Work (Bilal Dardai)
• If the Drones Are Dreaming, Or Sgt. Predator's Blown Apart Club Band (Bilal Dardai)

Happy Valentine's Day, no matter who or what gender your valentine might happen to be.

Neo-Futurist Spring Workshops and The Roots of Neo-Futurism

Our upcoming spring workshops offer two different ways to learn about Neo-Futurist performance. Explore the roots of Neo-Futurism during a new 1-day intensive this March, then sign-up for Neo-Futurism I, starting April 6, to learn how to create and perform your own work within the Neo-Futurist aesthetic. The Details:

Italian Futurist Performance: The Origins of Neo-Futurism 

Instructor: Greg Allen, Tuition: $60.00

Wednesday, March 13, 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Ever wonder what inspired Greg to invent Neo-Futurism? And where does "Futurism" come from anyway? Join Founding Director Greg Allen for a three hour intensive exploring the origins of the Neo-Futurist movement. Learn more...

Neo-Futurism I: Master Class with Greg Allen

Instructor: Greg Allen, Tuition: $250.00

Saturdays, 10:00am - 1:00pm

April 6 - May 25

Learn how to turn your personal experiences into visceral performances that connect to the audience in unique and compelling ways in this introduction to Neo-Futurism, from the man who coined the term, The Neo-Futurists’ Founding Director, Greg Allen. Learn more...

P.S. Don't worry, learning about Italian Futurism won't make you a fascist. Probably.

World Premiere Preview (Jan 27 - Feb 8, 2013)

The exciting thing we haven't told you too much about is that we're rapidly approaching the launch date of our brand-new website, built by the theatre-professional-run marketing/branding agency Marshall Creative.

Among the things we're going to have on the site are a featured section that will tell you the week's new plays as well as any plays we know are leaving the menu soon. The image here is a sneak preview of that section in its design form. Besides its sleek and enjoyable look, it's also ten times easier for us to update than it is for us to write a new blog post each week. That number is not mathematically proven. The point is that it will be easier for us not to slack off for three weeks and tell you nothing at all, and if you're interested you'll be able to check back every Thursday before you decide to come see the show.

Below are 26 play titles from the last three weeks of the show, that were performed collectively by Megan, Ryan, Malic, Trevor, Bilal, Lily, Leah, Tif, and Brenda. As usual, some of these plays are already gone and you are sorry you missed them.

• 10 Gulps (Trevor Dawkins)
• Leah and the Process (Trevor Dawkins)
• Ryan and the Addiction (Trevor Dawkins)
• Malic and the Throng (Trevor Dawkins)
• A horse a horse my kingdom for a horse because... (Trevor Dawkins)
• "She was destined for great things" (Megan Mercier)
• Lena Dunham is just (not) like us (Megan Mercier)
• The Neo-Futurists Proudly Present in Collaboration With Static Electric Kinetic Body Movement Dance Theater Company (Unincorporated) Presents The Ladies McB Present "Carrie! A Neo-Feminist Static Electric Kinetic Body Movement Dance Opus" (Megan Mercier / Leah Urzendowski)
• Song of His (Brenda Arellano)
• Everything I've Ever Learned from Every Women's Interest Magazine I've Ever Read (Tif Harrison)
• 'Mom Dance' Variations: A Study Based on Extensive Research at Weddings and Karaoke Bars (Malic White)
• Fig. B (Bilal Dardai)
• Racquet Sports Single Rally in Concert Tonight Only (Possibly Yesterday) (Possibly Tomorrow) (Bilal Dardai)
• A Neo-Futurist Fire Drill (Bilal Dardai)
• Extremely Specific, Angrily Shouted, Semi-Silent Art Auction (Lily Mooney)
• Dropbox Booger (Lily Mooney)
• Assisted Fantasies (Lily Mooney)
• not about apples (Lily Mooney)
• Oscar always invites me in (Lily Mooney)
• Ass comparison (Lily Mooney)
• Bridging the Gap (Leah Urzendowski)
• Income Property (Ryan Walters)
• Food. Eat. You. (Ryan Walters)
•                            (Ryan Walters)
• Self Interview with Mostly Aggressive Responses and No Answers (Ryan Walters)
• Found Text: Murder She Wrote, 1984, Season One Plot Synopsis (Ryan Walters)

So to sum up: Sorry, and when the new website arrives this will no longer be a problem we think.

Analog Sneak-Preview Reading This Sunday

Kurt Chiang, creator of the upcoming Neo-Futurist Prime-Time show, Analog, will present a sneak preview reading of the original script this Sunday, January 27th, at 9:00pm, after Too Much Light.

Kurt will preview a 20-ish minute monologue, a version of which he recently debuted at a slam poetry reading (of all places) where the response was very enthusiastic. The preview will also include a tour of the space.

Anyone who comes to Sunday's 7:00 pm Too Much Light performance is welcome to stick around or - if you can't make it to TML - doors for the preview will open at 8:30. The reading is free to attend.

We would love to see you there!

Analog opens Monday March 4th

Tickets available online now!

World Premiere Preview (Jan 4 - 20, 2013)

Welcome back, friends. Right now, we're in the midst of:

1. Planning our 25th Anniversary season
2. Preparing to launch a brand-new website
3. Producing The Carter Family Family Show at Rhino Fest
4. Rehearsing and reimagining the space for our March show Analog
5. Fighting off this cold and flu epidemic going around
6. Welcoming into the fold our newest ensemble member, Lily Mooney!

So...we fell a bit behind on announcing our new plays. New plays from the first two weeks of the year were:

• It's That Time Again... (Tif Harrison)
• Repurposing Sympathy (Tif Harrison)
• Indeed The Future (Trevor Dawkins)
• Merry Sexedmas (Megan Mercier)
• TurdSwap (real shit for real people who can't handle reality) (Megan Mercier)
• Total Eclipse of the Malic (Leah Urzendowski)
• Anthony Courser Guest Stars as Abraham Lincoln (Leah Urzendowski)
• The Industry Is My Purgatory (Brenda Arellano)
• cloud. (Brenda Arellano)
• On the Road, Burroughs Burroughs Burroughs (Kurt Chiang)
• The Re-Gift Diptych (Kurt Chiang)
• How to end a play (Ryan Walters)
• Doubt/Hope Revisited (Malic White)
• Two Old Men who are not yet old Contemplate the Days Yet to Come (Malic White)
• The Neo-Futurists Review the Film Adaptation of Les Miserables Using Found Text from Articles About the Fiscal Cliff (Malic White)

And some of these new plays are already gone, so if you didn't see them then you might never get a chance to see them again. And you'll have to live with that.

New plays! Nine of them! Including the first-ever TML play for Lily Mooney! Lily joins an eight-strong ensemble including herself, Brenda, Tif, Megan, Trevor, Ryan, Malic, and Leah.

• a list of cities. (Lily Mooney)
• First impressions, and the dramatics that follow. (Tif Harrison)
• Lily Mooney: a play starring Malic White (Malic White)
• with you in mind (Megan Mercier)
• What if we did THIS instead of THAT? (Ryan Walters)
• AN IRRELEVENT JOKE MADE RELEVENT (Leah Urzendowski)
• The debate debate. (Trevor Dawkins)
• Tit Zit (Brenda Arellano)
• Beware The Declarative (Brenda Arellano)

A new Neo's first week is a joy to behold. You should joyously behold it.