Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is a show you won’t want to miss. It is non-stop fun and creativity for both the actors and the audience!
The Department of Theater and Dance presents Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, a unique ensemble performance that seeks to present 35 plays in 70 minutes. Directed by UCSB lecturer Michael Bernard, the show opens at 1 p.m. on November 6 and runs through November 14.
The show was created by Greg Allen and opened in 1988 in Chicago. It ran for 50 weekends of the year until 2016, making it the longest running show in the history of Chicago theater.
When you watch Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, you're really watching 35 different plays with individual characters and storylines. Each one is only two minutes long and ranges in tone from hilarious to heart-breaking.
Another aspect of the show that sets it apart from many other productions at UCSB is that it relies heavily on willing audience participation. Traditionally, patrons are given a "menu" that lists all 35 plays. From there, they get to decide the order in which the plays are performed as the show progresses. Audience members who choose to participate shout out the number of the play they want, and the first one heard by the performers is the one they do next!
Director Michael Bernard said about the show: "One of the main objectives for me while working on this play was finding ways to make the cast feel empowered and in control", so UCSB students in the cast can take ownership of the play in their own right.
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is a show you won't want to miss. It is non-stop fun and creativity for both the actors and the audience!
Join us in the Performing Arts Theater for this exciting show. Tickets are available at the UCSB Theater and Dance box office, by phone at (805) 893 - 2064, and online at www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu.
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