Sundown Collaborative Theatre presents…

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 plays in 60 minutes

Written & conceived by: Greg Allen & The Neo-Futurists
Directed by: Ryan Davila & Lindsey Hall

April 20th, 21st, 22nd &
April 27th, 28th, 29th at 8:00pm

Aura Coffee
1306 W Hickory St.
Denton, TX 76201

Photo of the cast in various poses: some are standing, two are kneeling; some have their arms raised; each person is looking in a different direction; some look happy, others confused or surprised, some are smiling. Each cast member is holding a white piece of paper with a number, from 1 to 30, in bold, black text; some are are hiding behind the paper, some are holding it above their head or otherwise displaying the number. Behind the cast, a string of lights attached to a wall holds more pieces of paper with printed numbers.


Click to jump to each section

synopsis | cast | crew | bios | play menu | director’s note | special thanks | coming soon: body stories


Synopsis

Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind is an ensemble experiment in presenting “30 Plays in 60 Minutes.”

Each short play will be performed in random order, with an interactive audience (that’s YOU!) dictating which play will be performed next. An onstage 60-minute timer keeps everyone honest. 

The show will change every night, so come back as many times as you want!

*Just a heads up, there will be some audience participation in this one, folks. But no worries- if that’s not your cup of tea, you can opt out at the door!*

back


Cast

Jessica Barnes (she/her), the yellow one
Julia Bodiford (she/her), the purple one
Ryan Davila (he/him), co-director, the red one
Jacob Drum (he/him), the green one
Matthew Eitzen (he/him), the orange one
Lindsey Hall (she/her), co-director, the teal one
Brandy Townsend (they/them), the pink one

back


Crew

Directors: Ryan Davila & Lindsey Hall
Stage Manager: The Little Voice Inside Your Heart
Producing Member: Kara Bruntz
Lighting Designer: Ryan Davila
Props Designer: Julia Bodiford
Light Board Op: Emily Chambers
Sound Board Op: Carrissa Davis

back


Special thanks to:

Aura Coffee, Theatre Denton, Cartwright’s Ranch House, Recycled Books, Melanie Barth, Tyler Lucas.

Significant thanks to:
The ragtag team of lab rats, gerbils, and guinea pigs who volunteered their time and laughter to play the role of “audience” during various rehearsals.

Exceptional thanks to:
Our generous and gorgeous Patreon supporters!

Did you know Sundown has a Patreon? Yes, it’s true! Doesn’t that make you want to become a patron TODAY??

back


Cast & Crew Bios

Jessica Barnes (she/her, the yellow one), a white woman with long, curly, strawberry-blonde hair, stands facing the camera with an expression of mock-fear, as she holds a barstool in front of her, with the legs of the stool facing the camera, as if to defend herself.

Jessica Barnes (she/her | the yellow one): From building houses out of bricks as a little pig to directing a chaos of flying monkeys, Jessica has always been a wild and whimsical force. After being crowned Queen of Faeries, she recently discovered a talent for smashing things with sledgehammers – watch out, world! Jessica is ecstatic to make her debut with Sundown and be part of a show that’s as unpredictable and delicious as a box of chocolates.


Julia Bodiford (she/her, the purple one), a white woman with long blonde hair, sits on a stool and looks at the camera, with an charmingly pleased smile on her face and her hand over her chest, as if saying, "Me? Really? Oh, you're so sweet."

Julia Bodiford (she/her | the purple one) currently serves as the Co-Artistic Director for Sundown. She’s bopped around the metroplex doing various projects throughout the years. She most recently directed Sundown’s production of How I Learned To Drive and Theatre Denton’s production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She’s very proud of her invention of water-flavored jello and of her upcoming project: an RPG video game inspired by Stuart Little.


Kara Bruntz (she/her, producing member), a white woman with long, blonde hair wearing lovely dangling earrings, smiles at the camera. She holds a drinking horn, as if she were toasting you, the viewer. (This photograph is in black and white, to represent the lackluster existence of those who were involved with the show but not as part of the cast.)

Kara Bruntz (she/her | producing member) had been doing theatre around DFW before she found her home with Sundown, where she currently serves as Secretary. Her most recent shows include Female Greek Chorus in How I Learned to Drive at Sundown, and stage managing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Theatre Denton. In the words of her roommate and friend, when asked to describe her: “My name is Kara. I do theatre. I’m really cool. You’ll like me too.”


A grainy black and white photograph. An extreme close-up of a white woman's face. The face wears a look of abject terror. This is the face of a person who is not long for this world. This person is Emily Chambers (she/they, light board operator). They will be missed.

Emily Chambers (she/they | light board operator) is trying their best.


Ryan Davila (he/him, co-director, the red one), a light-skinned man with short black hair, sits on a stool looking at the camera with his arms out to his sides, palms up, slightly shrugging and with a smug smile on his face, as if saying, "Well, what're ya gonna do, amirite?"

Ryan Davila (he/him | co-director | the red one) was born August 19th 1988, to mother Dorinda and father Joe. He has been doing theatre since 05th grade. His first play was Peter Pan and he played a pirate. Ryan has served as Technical Director for Sundown Collaborative Theatre since he joined in 2017. He was first introduced to Sundown Collaborative Theatre when he played Big Stone in Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. Since joining, Ryan has 1234567890 and is being s123456789012345 of working with 12345678 12 23452345456 in the areas of theatre and bioluminescent. Lighting up the sky with a silent moving Unidentified Flying Object

Ryan has also recently 11111111111 Do ing 111111 111111111 111 Not 1111111111111 Picking up 1111111 11111111 Play just adding the word Number but absolutely do not pick play number 23. 

Outside of Sundown, Ryan has been working on 111111111111111111111111 11111 1111 111111 111111111111111111  11111111111 111111111111111111 11111111111111111111 11111111111111111111111111111111111 111111111111 1111111111111111.                               

Do I make myself clear? Thank you for coming.


A black and white photograph of a white woman with glasses and a tiny flower in her luscious, dark locks. Carrissa Davis (she/her, sound board operator) smiles demurely at the camera, no doubt enjoying the melodic cacophony of the fauna alive in the trees behind her. Little does she know...

Carrissa Davis (she/her | sound board operator) is a theatre kid turned film student turned theatre kid. This is her first show with Sundown, but she has pressed similar, but different buttons, on similar, but different programs for Something Rotten, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Beauty and the Beast with Theatre Denton. Doing such a chaotic, unpredictable show will hopefully mellow out her perfectionist tendencies, and her imposter syndrome about even calling herself a “perfectionist”, because if she really were a perfectionist, she would be more perfect, right? Carrissa would like to thank her family for their support, and you, dear audience,
for coming.


Jacob Drum (he/him, the green one), a white man with long, brown hair and glasses, sits on a stool looking at the camera. His head is tilted to the side and his long, luscious mane covers most of his face. It is unclear if this is because he is too shy to show his face or if the photographer caught Jacob midway through a slo-mo Fabio-esque hair toss.

Jacob Drum (he/him | the green one) The ever-elusive Jacob John Jingleheimer Smith Drum is rarely seen- only in the occasional Sundown show such as How I Learned To Drive, Short Works, Love Stories, She Kills Monsters; as well as blurry photos taken by wandering hikers. If spotted, approach slowly, as this species scares easily. The specimen performing for this show was captured humanely, after a traumatizing interaction with an old acquaintance in which he said something terribly embarrassing. He will be released back into the wild after rehabilitation. They have been known to use their long hair as a defense against predators, but will more often flee while screaming to avoid conflict. They can occasionally be spotted using their height to assist shorter species with tasks out of their reach.


Matthew Eitzen (he/him, the orange one), a white man with close-cropped hair, a beard, and glasses, sits on a stool facing the camera at an angle. He is pointing double finger guns at the camera with a wide grin on his face, as if he had just made a hilarious joke (spoiler: it was not hilarious).

Matthew Eitzen (he/him | the orange one) was born sometime in the early 90’s, though like all his other biographical details, this cannot be verified and must be taken with a grain of salt. His place of birth was either a coal mine near Bratislava, a hospital in Odessa, Texas, or a scientific exploration vessel off the coast of South Georgia Island. What is certain is that by the turn of the millennium he was living in the suburbs north of Dallas, and that he attended the University of Oklahoma’s School of Drama. Between the years 2015 and 2020, his whereabouts are unknown, though rumors persist that he worked as a custodian in the headquarters of the Confédération Général du Travail (CGT) for at least some of that time. Since 2015 he has been an actor and playwright in the DFW area while occasionally moonlighting as a bird fancier, specializing in grouses. He would like to thank his family for their unfailing support.


Lindsey Hall (she/her, co-director, the teal one), a light-skinned woman with short, dark, curly hair, sits on a stool with her knees pulled up. She has one arm across her lap, her other elbow resting on her knee. Her head, tilted, rests on the back of her hand. She looks at the camera with slightly raised eyebrows, a patient look on her face, though you can tell she is slowly growing a bit exasperated with you, as well.

Lindsey Hall (she/her | co-director | the teal one) is a type A introvert who prefers the company of dogs over humans and yet has somehow been bamboozled by herself AND her friends to not only co-lead a theatre company but also to co-direct a show full of improv and unpredictable chaos. In fact, her co-director Ryan has done such a fine job bringing her over to the dark side that some of the things that change every single show are actually her fault. You’re welcome. And thank you for coming. 


Brandy Townsend (they/them, the pink one), a white person with dark hair, sits on a stool with a wide and joyful grin on their face. Their have their hands in the pockets of their hoodie and their arms spread out wide to the sides, as if they were playing airplane.

Brandy Townsend (they/them | the pink one) is writing this bio against their will. They have always felt awkward about listing their past theatre exploits to be read by the audience of their current project; however, their sweet friend Lindsey assured them people would be interested in this information so Brandy now sits writing a bio. Brandy has been a member of Sundown for over three years now and has been seen in three Short Works festivals, Love Stories, and She Kills Monsters. They were backstage as the assistant director and voice of the black box in Girl in the Machine and as a stage manager for How I Learned to Drive. They are super excited to be a part of this cast and so glad you came to see this crazy fun show!!!

404 file not found. 
Move along, nothing to see here. Trust me, you don't want to poke your nose in this. I've said too much, you must go now.

The Little Voice Inside Your Heart (they/them | stage manager) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

back


Coming soon:
Body Stories (a working title)

The second installment in our Stories: A Working Title series, we are looking for body stories.

We all have a unique body that comes with its own challenges and highlights, and we want to create an art showcase that tells as many stories, from as many different bodies as possible. To achieve this goal, we are reaching out to you, to tell us a story about life in your body. 

This story could be about your size, gender, race, chronic pain or illness, or any other aspect of your body that impacts your life. We want stories to uplift us, to make us cry, and even to make us angry. 

Click here to find out more or to submit your story!

Graphic with a light blue background, with a few circles, stars, and other abstract shapes. In the middle of the graphic there are several abstract "body" shapes in different skin tones, from light beige to dark brown. Text reads: Sundown Collaborative Theatre presents... Body Stories (a working title) | A devised piece conceived and guided by Brandy Townsend | Jul. 28-30 & Aug. 4-6, 2023

Sundown Collaborative Theatre is honored by each and every story shared and by the opportunity to create this project with the community. All stories will be kept anonymous unless otherwise requested.

back


Play Menu

  1. Cyrano
  2. The Story of Hand in Glove
  3. Blind Date
  4. The Day the Number Rebelled and Took Control of its Own Fate, Pursuing a Life It Had Only Dreamed of in a World It Had Never Seen
  5. Sudden Death and Resurrection
  6. Real Famous Last Words
  7. Hair Director
  8. Love It When You Ask
  9. Read Me Like a Book
  10. Poultrygeist
  11. Zenith
  12. 12 Photographs of Eadweard Muybridge in motion
  13. Every Time a Bell Rings an Angel Gets To Salivate
  14. Lip Readers
  15. Choice of Vegetable
  16. Macbeth
  17. Regrets
  18. The Voices of Walter Schuman
  19. Title
  20. A Chorus Line
  21. Give and Take
  22. There Is No Dog
  23. This Play Does Not Exist
  24. Part of the Problem
  25. Déjà al Fresco
  26. No Tech! No Tech!
  27. Days of Wine and Rosés
  28. Fool-Hearty
  29. Love, Jacob
  30. An Apology

back


Director’s note

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind was originally performed in Chicago in 1988 by the experimental theatre troupe The Neo-Futurists. Part of their enduring mission is to create “immediate, unreproducible events at affordable prices” and that is exactly what we aim to do here tonight as well. As one of the founding members Greg Allen states it, “all of our plays are ‘set’ on the stage in front of the audience. All of our ‘characters’ are ourselves… We do not aim to ‘suspend the audience’s disbelief’ but to create a world where the stage is a continuation of daily life.”

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is built around a healthy combination of randomness and chaos. The plays are a wonderful jumble of sketch comedy, performance art, poetry, and an amazing audience. The spectacular uniqueness of this show is that it will be entirely shaped by you, tonight’s audience. As you call out each play for us, you will be providing us with a unique order that will not be repeated any other night. Tonight’s show will be just for you. The audience is [just] as much a part of this show as anyone else. You just had less time to practice.

This show holds true to the Neo-Futurists’ endeavor to break the mold and give every audience member a unique, one-of-a-kind, experience. We are embracing the unpredictability and diving in headfirst, with open arms, to create something new, collaboratively, each night. So, sit back, grab a beverage, some popcorn, and a BINGO card if you haven’t already, and enjoy the ride.

Thank you for coming.

back


Did you know Sundown has a Patreon?

Now you do! Aren’t you glad you read this far?

Did you know you can support your favorite flock of starving artists for only $3 a month? What a steal!

back