Artist Bio

(Bio as of January 2009)

The Neo-Futurists most recently collaborated with the Goodman on A Global Exploration: Eugene O’Neill in the 21st Century. Founded by Greg Allen, The Neo-Futurists is a collective of writer/director/performers whose unique experimental style is inspired by the dynamism of the Italian futurists; the dadaist joy of randomness; the surrealist thrill of the unconscious; and the social consciousness and redefin­ing of audience/performer relationships that marked the theatrical experiments of the 1960s. Their signature production, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, which opened in 1988, is written and performed by a 17-member ensemble. Billed as “an ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes,” Too Much Light…is performed every week in their North Side home, the Neo-Futurarium.

Through the success of Too Much Light…and a variety of other works, The Neo-Futurists have become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in America. They have been commissioned to create works for such disparate organizations as the Arts Club of Chicago, the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, PBS, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and the prestigious Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. They have performed extensively nationally and internationally, and in 2004 opened a New York branch of The Neo-Futurists. They have also found success in other media: anthologies of plays from Too Much Light.., CDs featuring both live and studio recordings, appearances on National Public Radio and a state-of-the-art computer-animated short film, Bingo. Allen teaches Neo-Futurism in residencies at universities and theater programs across the country.