A Rockford theater had to change gears because they couldn’t secure the actors needed for a planned production.
The West Side Show Room originally wanted to produce "The Irish Curse." Epic Jones is the artistic director of the theater. Jones goes by the pronouns they/them. They said the theater wants to have shows that allow a diverse cast.
“But the problem is, we struggle to find actors from those communities to be in the place,” Jones said. “So, we chose this play to replace it, because we could cast it didn't have any restrictions on the casting, you know, in terms of, you know, age, or gender or race, we could put anybody in it.”
The production, “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes," was written by Greg Allen.
Jones said this event will be like the original Chicago show. The audience can interact by choosing the play number they want performed next.
“It's done in the style of Futurism, which essentially tries to strip away all of the trappings of what people expect from theater,” Jones said. “So, there are no costumes, there's no set, the lights and props are minimal.”
The original play started in Chicago in 1988 and ran through 2016.
These mini plays will run May 3 through the 18. More information can be found at wssr.org.
