The Neo-Futurists are an experimental theater troupe founded by Greg Allen in 1988, based on an aesthetics of honesty, speed and brevity. Neo-Futurist theatre was inspired in part by the Italian Futurist movement from the early 20th century. Originating in Chicago, branches of the Neo-Futurists also exist in New York City, San Francisco, and London (the latter under the name Degenerate Fox).

Aesthetic

The Neo-Futurist aesthetic demands that everything that transpires in their theater be non-illusory, which is to say that they pretend nothing; actors only play themselves. All plays take place on a stage, specifically, the stage on which they are performed, in the present. If one of the performers reports that something has happened, it has happened. Much of their work contains the possibility of failure, a unique theatrical component that keeps them and the audience honest. Their plays are wildly eclectic, touching on all genres and tones; plays may be political, satirical, personal, tragic, comic, abstract, musical, surreal, poetic, and so on.

Neo-Futurism doesn't employ "suspension of disbelief"—it does not attempt to take the audience anywhere else at any other time with any other people. The idea is to deal with what is happening at the time with the people on the stage.

The general setup of the weekly shows is the same across groups and countries. The ensemble attempts to perform 30 short plays in 60 minutes, with the order of the plays determined by the audience shouting out numbers based on a play menu handed out before the show.

In November 2016, Greg Allen announced in an emailed press release that he intended to revoke the Chicago company's rights to perform TMLMTBGB. Allen had ceased to be a member of the performing ensemble four years prior, and in his announcement he stated his intention to form a new company to perform the show as a way to "combat the new Trump administration." In a response statement, the Neo-Futurists stated that they were "disappointed that it has come to this conclusion," but that "throughout our long history with Greg there have been considerable artistic differences and irreconcilable personal conflicts." The last show took place on December 31, 2016, making TMLMTBGB one of the longest running productions in Chicago history. In solidarity with the Chicago company, the New York and San Francisco productions of Too Much Light also closed that December.

Subsequently, the Neo-Futurists developed and opened a new weekly late-night show in 2017 titled The Infinite Wrench in all three branches to continue to showcase their two-minute plays. The Chicago ensemble notably reached their 10,000th play on September 29, 2017. A fourth branch, operating in London as Degenerate Fox, runs the similar show The Dirty Thirty.

Theater members

Current members

Below is a list of current active ensemble members in the Chicago, New York, and San Francisco companies:

;The Neo-Futurists (Chicago)

{|

|

  • aussie b
  • Mat Benson
  • Neil Bhandari
  • Emma Casey

|

  • Lewis Christensen
  • Andres Coronado
  • Niky Crawford
  • JJ

|

  • Jasmine Henri Jordan
  • Nakiyah T.M. Jordan
  • Dan Kerr-Hobert
  • Abby Pajakowski

|

  • Connor Shioshita Pickett
  • Alé Ramirez
  • Annie Share
  • Christie Valentin-Bati

|}

;The New York Neo-Futurists

{|

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  • Aaron LaRoche
  • Amelia Bethel
  • Anna Zheng
  • Annie Levin
  • Anooj Bhandari
  • Aubrey Lace Taylor

|

  • Carter
  • Chan Lin
  • Clay Palmer
  • Isa Nicdao
  • Jake Banasiewicz

|

  • Julia Melfi
  • Lee LeBreton
  • Michael John Improta
  • Michaela ‘MJ’ Farrell
  • Mike Manship

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  • Rob Neill
  • Robin Virginie
  • Salwa Meghjee
  • Val Ramirez
  • Yael Haskal

|}

;SF Neo-Futurists

{|

|

  • Amy Langer
  • Aneekah Uddin
  • Aster Light
  • Bahaar Taj

|

  • Danni Blackman
  • Eli Bishop
  • Geulah Finman
  • Hannah Cantor

|

  • jeb
  • Joe Peña
  • Jordan Williams
  • Mars Ibarra

|

  • Ray Ray
  • Sam Bertken
  • Topher Lin
  • Wallace Yan

|}

Alumni

Since 1988, the ranks of the Neo-Futurists have included the following individuals (listed alphabetically by first name):

{|

|

  • Adam Smith
  • Adrian Danzig
  • Alex Vlahov
  • Alexis Smith
  • Alicia Harding
  • Andie Patterson
  • Andy Bayiates
  • Anita Loomis
  • Ashley Brockington
  • Aya Aziz
  • Ayun Halliday
  • Benni Baker
  • Betsy Freytag
  • Bilal Dardai
  • Bill Coelius
  • Brenda Arellano
  • Brent Whiteside
  • Caitlin Stainken
  • Cara Francis
  • Cat Huck
  • Cecil Edward Baldwin
  • Chisa Hutchinson
  • Chloe Johnston
  • Chris Dippel
  • Christopher Borg
  • Christopher Loar
  • Ci'era London
  • Cinder O
  • Claudia Alick
  • Clifton Frei
  • Colin Summers
  • Connor Kalista
  • Connor Sampson
  • Dan McCoy
  • Daniel Mirsky
  • Dave Awl
  • David Kodeski
  • Dean Evans
  • Desiree Burch

|

  • Diana Slickman
  • Dina Marie Walters
  • Dylan Waite
  • Dylan Marron
  • Eevin Hartsough
  • Eliza Burmester
  • Erica Livingston
  • Ezra Reaves
  • F. Omar Telan
  • Flor De Liz Perez
  • Genevra Gallo
  • Geryll Robinson
  • Greg Allen
  • Greg Lakhan
  • Greg Kotis
  • Heather Kelley
  • Heather Riordan
  • Hilary Asare
  • Ida Cuttler
  • Jacquelyn Landgraf
  • Jackson Bird
  • Jay Torrence
  • Jeewon Kim
  • Jeffrey Cranor
  • Jenny Williams
  • Jessica Anne
  • Jessie Alsop
  • Jezz Chung
  • Jill Beckman
  • Joe Basile
  • Joe Dempsey
  • Joey Rizzolo
  • Jonathan Mastro
  • John Pierson
  • Justin Tolley
  • Karen Christopher
  • Kate Jones
  • Katharine Chin
  • Katharine Heller

|

  • Kathy Keyes
  • Katie Kay Chelena
  • Katrina Toshiko
  • Katy-May Hudson
  • Kevin R. Free
  • KR Riiber
  • Kristie Koehler Vuocolo
  • Krystal Seli
  • Kurt Chiang
  • Kyra Sims
  • Lauren Sharpe
  • Leah Urzendowski-Courser
  • Lily Mooney
  • Lindsay Brandon Hunter
  • Lisa Buscani
  • Lusia Strus
  • Margaret McCarthy
  • Marisa Conroy
  • Marjorie Fitzsimmons
  • Marta Rainer
  • Mary Fons
  • Matt Pine
  • Meg Bashwiner
  • Megan Cohen
  • Megan Mercier
  • Melissa Lindberg
  • Micael Bogar
  • Michael Cyril Creighton
  • Mike Puckett
  • Mike Troccoli
  • Molly Flynn
  • Nessa Norich
  • Nick Hart
  • Nicole Hill
  • Noelle Krimm
  • Olivia Kingsley
  • Page Phillips
  • Paige Saliba
  • Phil Gibbs

|

  • Phil Ridarelli
  • Rachel Claff
  • Rachelle Anthes
  • Randy Burgess
  • Rayne Harris
  • Regie Cabico
  • Rex Jenny
  • Ricardo Gamboa
  • Ro White
  • Roberta Colindrez
  • Robin MacDuffie
  • Ryan Good
  • Ryan Patrick Welsh
  • Ryan Walters
  • Sarah Levy
  • Scott Hermes
  • Sean Benjamin
  • Shaina Wagner
  • Sharon Greene
  • Shelton Lindsay
  • Sheri Reda
  • Simon Pond
  • Siyu Song
  • Spencer Kayden
  • Stephanie Shaw
  • Steve Mosqueda
  • Steven Westdahl
  • Ted Bales
  • Tif Harrison
  • Tim Reid
  • Tim Reinhard
  • TL Thompson
  • Tonya Narvaez
  • Trent Lunsford
  • Trevor Dawkins
  • Tyler Butterfield
  • Willie Caldwell
  • Yolanda Kaye Wilkinson
  • Zoe Lehman

|}

  • Stephen Colbert auditioned for the Neo-Futurists, and was cast as part of the ensemble, but never got an opportunity to perform with them.

Theater locations

  • Chicago: 5153 N. Ashland Avenue, The Neo-Futurist Theater
  • New York: 64 N 9th Street, The Second City Brooklyn
  • San Francisco: 447 Minna St.
  • London: 2 Shepperton Road, Rosemary Branch Theatre

Accolades

The Neo-Futurists have been frequently recognized in the Chicago Reader Best of Chicago polls. From 2021 through 2024, The Neo-Futurist Theater won first place for best off-Loop theater company, and from 2021 through 2025, they placed third or higher for best established theater company. Additionally, they were awarded second place in 2020 and first in 2021 and 2022 for best original digital content for The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral, which also won first place for best virtual play in 2020. The show received critical acclaim and received a New York Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Performance Art Production in 2011.

The New York Neo-Futurists were also New York Innovative Theatre Awards recipients for 'Outstanding Performance Art Production' in 2006, 2011, & 2017, 'Outstanding Ensemble' in 2009, and the Caffe Cino Award 2010. They also have been nominated for two Drama Desk awards in 2012 and 2014. In 2009 the New York company won the Village Voice Readers’ Choice poll for Best Performance Art and was named one of the nytheatre.com People of the Year.

The San Francisco Neo-Futurists are well regarded in the Bay Area. They have been referred to as “SF’s premiere performance art troupe” by 48 Hills, and they were recommended by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the top things to do in 2022. From 2016 to 2019 and in 2022 and 2023, the SF Neos were runners up or winners of Best Theater Company in the San Francisco Bay Guardian’s Best of the Bay polls. Similarly, they were recognized as the winners of Best Live Theater in SF Weekly’s Best of San Francisco poll in 2017.

References

  • The Chicago Neo-Futurists - Chicago Neo-Futurists Official homepage.
  • The NY Neo-Futurists — New York Neo-Futurists Official homepage.
  • The San Francisco Neo-Futurists — San Francisco Neo-Futurists Official homepage.
  • Degenerate Fox — Degenerate Fox Theatre (London Neo-futurists) Official website.
  • Dean Evans — Dean Evans' Website.
  • Performers at Cusp Conference 2009