UP Theater - Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes)
30PLAYSIN 60MINUTES!
The University of Portland Theater respectfully acknowledges that our space rests on the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla and many other Tribes who made their homes along the Columbia (Wimahl) and Willamette (Whilamut) rivers. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde currently represent many of these tribes.
We give thanks to them; that we are here on their unceded lands and commit to treating their space as a living breathing entity that needs care and stewardship. We give thanks to this land as we continue to speak up for justice, a place in history, and a place in a future that demands to be better.
NOVEMBER 13-24, 2024
UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND THEATER PROGRAM
TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND
30 PLAYS IN 60 MINUTES
DIRECTED BY ANDY CHRISTENSEN
Assistant Director
Parielle Shapard
Production Manager
Tyler Smith
Costume Studio Manager
Amanda Cardwell-Aiken
Stage Manager
Joe Koppy
Assistant Stage Managers
Fin Bagshaw, AM Blank, Aly Romero
Intimacy Director
Andy Christensen
Marketing Director
Emily Hogan
Theater Marketing Asst.
Ricardo Guevara
Theater Photographer
Rowan Lowery
TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND
Cast:
Aria Sophia Hroma, Ricardo Guevara, Samuel Jacob Paci, Jacqulynne Sample, Eleanor Sells, Amber Rose Beeks, Riya Mathew, and Joshua Mager
Content Guidances:
This performance will include profanity, theatrical violence, sexual themes, political content, and references to abortion, substance use, child abuse, STIs, racism, suicide, mental illness, and sexism.
Due to the audience participation aspect of this production, these content notices can only address the scripted elements of the piece. There may be other content that we cannot account for.
The Neofuturists: Building Community Through Bold, Interactive Theatre
The Neofuturists are an experimental theatre ensemble that seek to redefine our sense of community by subverting the traditional relationship between performers and audiences. Founded in 1988 by Greg Allen in Chicago, the group’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that theatre should be immediate, raw, and authentic. Emerging from the improv theatre movement, their work challenges traditional forms of storytelling, creating a dynamic experience that invites the audience to actively participate in the creation of each performance. Every performance becomes an experiment in community building.
The Neofuturist commitment to experimentation and risk-taking reflects a broader desire to engage with the many facets of contemporary life—social, political, and personal. Their work bravely wrestles with themes of identity, societal norms, and personal experience, inviting audiences to reflect on their own lives and their place in the world around them. Through their bold and unapologetic style, the Neofuturists build an environment in which individuals are encouraged to actively question, challenge, and embrace their human experience and, vitally, to do this in the company of strangers.
The Neofuturists and Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind remind us that theatre is not a passive experience. The performers are not just actors; they are collaborators with the audience, and the work becomes a living, breathing conversation between the two. The theater becomes a space for real-time connection, experimentation, and exploration, where rules can be broken and where the potential for discovery is limitless. In this way, Neofuturist theatre becomes a powerful means of connecting individuals in a fragmented world, offering both a space for personal reflection and moments of communion.
The spontaneous and unpredictable nature of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, where each show is shaped by the collective input of the crowd, cultivates a sense of mutual involvement and shared ownership of the artistic experience. It encourages a dynamic form of community engagement that isn’t passive but participatory, where each show becomes a shared conversation, a co-creation between all present. As audience members of all identities, ages, and perspectives contribute to the unfolding of the show, the Neofuturists invite us to, likewise, become active participants in our own communities as we navigate our immediate moment of humanity.
For more information about the Neofurturists, visit their website (https://neofuturists.org/) and follow their Instagram (@theneofuturists)
Cast
in alphabetical order
Amber Rose Beeks, she/her, is a senior sociology and theater major. She’s performed in many UP Theater productions, most recently The Prom. She is very excited for you to come and see this show! She hopes for you to come out of this feeling like you need to enact change.
Ricardo Guevara, he/him, is a senior theater & marketing double major from Portland, OR. Recent acting credits include Mr. Hawkins in The Prom, Fin in TBA, Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night, Somebody in Everybody, Brindsley in Black Comedy, and Don Carlos in Los Empeños de una Casa (House of Desires). In addition to being an actor, Ricardo is a director and playwright—he directed this season’s Sanctuary City and recently wrote Interview at a Hot Sauce Factory and Boba Shop Murder: Above My Paygrade. He would like to thank his family, friends, the Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, the Centro deArte de Teatral CDMX, the theatre
department at SHS, and everyone in the University of Portland theater department for supporting him in his journey in theatre. He dedicates this, as well as all of his work, to his late grandmother Blanca Estela Chavez Alcantara.
Aria Sophia Hroma, she/her, has previously been seen on stage as Marta in Company, Fabian in Twelfth Night, and the dancing cat in Peter and the Starcatcher as well as backstage as the assistant director of These Shining Lives and stage manager of You Can See All the Stars. This show has been equally fun and challenging and she has absolutely loved every minuet of it (or maybe she didn't. she wrote this bio before rehearsals started)
Joshua Mager, he/him, is a serious and dedicated actor with a lighthearted flair. He has made his mark in performances ranging from breathtakingly serious to downright silly. He strives for his performances to be believably true, and his characters to be genuine. A senior mechanical engineering major, though he asks you do not hold it against him.
Riya Mathew, she/her, is a second-year Cell, Molecular, & Biomedical Science major with a Neuroscience minor on a pre-medical track from Beaverton, OR. She hopes to become a great neurosurgeon one day, but for now is super excited to be a part of this exciting, interactive performance. Her most recent roles at UP included Peter/Boy in Peter and the Starcatcher, and Shelby in The Prom. She's eager to see if pizza will have to be ordered due to the hour timer. Riya would like to thank UP's Theatre Department for all the exciting opportunities it's given her, and she would like to thank her family and friends for the continuous love and support.
Samuel Jacob Paci, he/him, is a freshman at University of Portland. His role in Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is his first stage acting experience to date. He loves to play soccer and create short films in his free time. He spent most of his time in high school in the media room crafting new films or working on the weekly broadcast that he produced. Samuel dreams of one day having a job within the film industry. Whether it's directing, acting, or
producing, he just really enjoys entertaining people.
Jacqulynne Sample, she/her, Jacqulynne is absolutely delighted to be returning to the UP Theater stage. She was last seen in Twelfth Night as Feste and is so grateful for the opportunity to perform again. When not on the stage, she can be seen in University Singers, Chamber Choir or struggling with her math homework in the library. Her passions include being outside in any capacity, wool (the textile) and eating entire pints of ice cream in one sitting. Jacqulynne would like to thank her parents, her friends and her professors for supporting her. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Eleanor Sells, she/her, is a third year elementary education major on the 3+1 pathway. This show is her fourth here at UP (you may have seen her previously in Everybody, The Wolves, or The Prom). She has had such a great time in the theater department and in this show specifically and is sad to say goodbye. This show has been one of her favorites to work on and she is sad that it is also her last. Eleanor thanks all of the cast and crew that have
made UP theater special to her. She hopes you enjoy this unique and awesome show!
Creative Team
in alphabetical order
Fin Bagshaw, they/them (ASM and Scenic Designer). Theatre has been a crucial part of Fin’s life for over thirteen years and they love sharing this passion with others! Recently, Fin has been seen in UP’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher (Ted), and worked as the Technical Director, Scenic Designer, and Stage Manger for Do Re Mi School of the Art’s production of Bye Bye Birdie. Additionally, Fin is honored to be this year’s VP for University Playhouse Theatre Club. Fin is very thankful for the many opportunities UP Theater provides for them to deepen their knowledge and love for technical theatre!
AM Blank, any/all (ASM), is a senior theatre major from Bellevue, Washington. Xe is excited to asm again with UP Theatre! Prior to this production, xe worked as an ad/asm/marketing/box office on a small show called People in the Square, a musical cabaret show about Seattle's historic Pioneer Square. Loads of love to the cast and crew, enjoy the show!
site-informed theatre that explore liveness in the intersection of place and time. In his practice, he builds egalitarian ensembles that create interdisciplinary, research-driven, and process-shaped performances that put audiences at the center of artistic experiences and contextualize performance within community. After earning his MFA from the Lir Academy of Trinity College in Dublin and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Andy returned to the US to invest in emerging artists in the Pacific Northwest. He is a founder of Cascadia Art Project and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Judah Frijole Juárez, she/her (Sound Designer), is proud to be sound designing again this season. She is studying Arts Administration and Spanish with a minor in Music. Last year she created the sound design for These Shining Lives. When she is not working in the theatre, she is working as a live sound engineer on campus and around Portland.
Andy Christensen, he/him (Director) is a theatremaker who specializes in emergent forms of immersive and
Chase Keelin he/him (Props Coordinator), is a senior theater major, excited to be involved in such an important project. While he has been involved in theater for the last two years, most of his projects involved music and dance. Now, he is excited to go out of his comfort zone with this production and tackle backstage.
Joe Koppy, he/him (Stage Manager), is a 5th year senior Theatre and English major in his final semester. Throughout his near half-decade at the university he has become multi-faceted in the world of theater, after being given responsibilities that he may or may not have been necessairily qualified for, but has somehow always found a way through. Some of his acting roles include: Barry Glickman (The Prom); Antonio (Twelfth Night); Peter (Company). Some backstage roles include: Stage Manager (Sea Wall); Stage Manager (These Shining Lives); Costume Manager (Peter and the Starcatcher); Assistant Stage Manager (The Wolves). He wants to thank everyone who has supported him during his time at UP, and he hopes you enjoy his final UP Theater project!
Aly Romero, she/her (ASM), is a first year Elementary Education and Theater major from Anchorage, Alaska. She has been performing since she was three and has been a part of theatre since elementary school. This is her first time behind the scenes, but her recent roles include: Stage Directions in You Can See All The Stars, Mack/Ensemble in Peter and the Starcatcher, and Molly in Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap. In her very little free time, Aly enjoys crocheting, singing, thrifting, and chilling with her dog. This show is a wild ride and she hopes you enjoy it!!
Parielle Shapard, she/her (Asst. Director), is a Vancouver School of Arts and Academics graduate. She is currently a double major in Theater and Arts Administration. She’s done performing arts since she was six, and this will be her second show at UP! Enjoy the show :)
Tyler Smith, he/him (Lighting Designer), is an award winning designer, technical designer, and project manager with a variety of experience in the education, experiential marketing, regional theater, and custom fabrication industries.
Tyler earned his MFA in theater technology from the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign in 2001 and has taught at many large university theater programs including University of Arizona, University of Central Florida and his alma mater, UIUC. He has also served as a LORT Technical Director for Studio Arena Theater and the Milwaukee Rep. His background includes Project Management in the construction industry building performing arts centers, theaters, cafetoriums, concert halls and upgrading safety systems for roller coasters. Tyler spends his free time with his wife Tracey and their three nearly feral cats Oso, Raven, and Tesla.
