“Too Much Light” Is Too Much Fun

Do you have a passion for entertainment? Do you appreciate wacky skits and social commentary? If so, head on down to the Contemporary Theater Company’s interactive 30-skit play, “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind” in Wakefield.

Members of the audience were given nametags with fun names, like “The Time Traveler's Wife,” “Lickety Split” and “Cornerblossom,” my new name. Feeling a new sense of hippy pride, I entered the small theater room to join many eager guests, all of whom were branded with equally creative names.

Once everyone was seated, the actors explained the “terms and conditions” of the play. The actors were to perform 30 different skits in the order of the audiences choosing — in under an hour. Should they fail, they would be punished. (I later discovered the punishment for that particular showing was a member of the audience getting the opportunity to super soak the cast).

The plays proved to have a little something for all of us, ranging from wacky to satirical, saddening to enlightening. Though I would not recommend taking young children (swearing and some other higher-then-PG-rated parts come into play), I do insist you check it out. It's short, so it’s easy to fit into your busy schedule. It’s no Wicked, but it’s definitely worth a watch. The Contemporary Theater Company gives you the full experience, even with small funding and, well, a small room.

Speaking of a small room, if all the seats in that small room are taken up, the actors buy the audience pizza. So get on down there and bring friends — free pizza and more than an hour of fun!

But the real fun is seeing the plays. My personal favorites are “The Tampon Play” and “Sleep Interruption,” and another play, “Manifest Destiny,” in which the actors stand in line to order lives from God — an interesting portrayal of how even if you got to pick, things might go wrong. But don’t think I’ve spoiled everything! The actors and events are different every night.

The actors in the play are spunky and fun, and incredibly friendly. The overall experience was amazing and definitely worth the small amount of difficulty the directionally impaired (like myself) may encounter trying to find the small venue amongst the shops in South County Commons.

I could go on, but I’ve already said too much! You simply must see it yourself. There are still showings this coming weekend: tonight and Saturday, all taking place at 7 p.m. The standard ticket price is $15 each, but you can also roll a die and pay whatever number you roll plus $11. It’s all up to you, whether you want to take the chance. Have fun!

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