UnTheatre Co Attempts 30 Plays in 60 Minutes

UnTheatre Co. kicks off its first run of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, an attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes, opening October 6 and running through October 21.

Performances will run on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and will take place at Matrix Theatre Company, located at 2730 Bagley in the heart of Mexicantown. There will be one late-night performance at 11pm on Saturday, October 14. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15 plus the resulting number of the roll of a 6-sided die, or online for $21 with the resulting number of the roll of a 6-sided die being returned to you at the door. For further information or to purchase tickets in advance, visit www.untheatreco.org or call 313-444-0652.

Originally conceived and produced by creator Greg Allen, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind begat the movement now referred to as Neo-Futurism. It has been performed in various cities in the United States as well as several countries throughout Europe and, after all those thousands of performances over all those years, there have never been two performances that were the same. UnSemble members write, direct, and perform original works. Each piece is delineated by a simple "Go" to begin and "Curtain" to end it, and the audience chooses the order of the plays based on a menu of numbered titles. At each performance, an audience member rolls an additional six-sided die to decide how many plays will be replaced for the following weekend of performances. The short plays vary in length, content, and format and can include silent pieces, songs, and audience participation.

"The audience should be ready for anything," UnTheatre Co. Founder, Christina Killmar, said. "The UnSemble is uniquely talented in making you laugh and cry in a matter of minutes. Too Much Light... is a brilliant way to shine a light on what is happening in our world and our community - literally - right now, which is why I thought it was so important to create this company and bring this show to Detroit."

The "UnSemble" features Ramona Burns (Troy), Chris Jakob (Detroit), Amy Johnson (Ypsilanti), Paul Manganello (Detroit), Casey O'Connor (Roseville), Shane O'Connor (Hazel Park), Tina Paraventi (Ypsilanti), and Jasmine Rose (Ypsilanti), each playing themselves. Additional company members include Phil Bolden (Grosse Pointe Park), Megan Buckley-Ball (Roseville), Sarah Drum (Garden City), Christina Killmar (New Baltimore), and Carson Killmar (Harrison Township).

"Much like the roll of the die deciding your price of entry, everything about this show is UNlike any other kind of theatre you've encountered," company member Megan Buckley-Ball said. "UnTheatre Co. turns socially-conscious theatre on its head and makes it fun to make a difference." Buckley-Ball also serves as Matrix Theatre Company's Artistic Director and thinks it makes a lot of sense for the two organizations to work together. "We're pleased to be hosting the first two runs of Too Much Light... here at Matrix," she said. "It's a really natural fit and we're looking forward to the partnership."

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind promises to be UNlike anything you've ever seen in Detroit. Doors open at 7:30pm, performances begin at 8:00pm. Seating is limited, so act fast to get your tickets now.

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