CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Drive by the Neo Futurists Theater in Andersonville and you might miss it.
"We like to call ourselves a hidden gem of Chicago," said Jorge Silva, Managing Director, Neo Futurists Theater. "Just like Giordano's, when tourists come to Chicago, they need to eat there and see a show here."
Silva said their flagship show, "The Infinite Wrench," is 30 original plays in 60 minutes. He said every show is different and the audience chooses the order.
"We put all 30 plays on a clothesline, and the audience from a menu will decide which play they want to see next. Our saying here is if you've seen the show, you've seen the show once," he smiled.
Eighteen months ago, like many live performers, the cast had to figure out a new way to connect with the community during the pandemic shutdown.
"We weren't sure exactly what was going to happen so we still wanted to honor the weekly tradition so we immediately started creating the digital adaptation of the show," Silva said.
The Neo Futurists were among the earliest to switch to online programming in March of 2020, something Silva said was an overwhelming success.
WBBM: Were you surprised by the success?
"Absolutely, because we are all theater makers, so we went from being a theater company to a digital company. The overwhelming response was amazing, because we were so quick to create, the audience immediately became members of the show. We just continued to invest in the creation. Because we have this DIY aesthetic, we didn't have to do a whole lot of production work to make it happen and people were so relieved. It was cathartic," Silva said.
Cast member Ida Cutler has been with the ensemble since 2015.
"We are experimental by nature. It was like getting a new set of tools to do what we do. It was a lot of fun, but also when we came back, you could just feel the energy of 'we miss this'" she said.
The cast incorporates current events and is autobiographical in nature.
"Our community has had similar situations during this difficult time so we share our own experiences. We definitely keep up with the news and what's going on in the world," Cutler said.
The weekend of Sept. 18-19, the ensemble returned to live performances to sold out crowds.
"There was anxiety, but a little bit of unfamiliarity. Our socialization muscles have atrophied a bit. It was great to have everyone in the space again, because the spontaneity was back and the sense of community was made whole again," Silva said.
Culter said it's been exhilarating performing before a live audience again.
"We have so much material now after all that we've been through. It is this release and hearing laughter happen live is something we were totally missing for 20 months," Cutler said.
The show is the longest running late night production in Chicago. New plays are created every Tuesday and are performed every Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.
"There was a lot of concern. We weren't sure if we were going to see those audiences return in full, but they have. That tells us that we are so hungry to be together again," Silva said.
"The Infinite Wrench" runs every Saturday at 10:30pm and Sundays at 7:00. Tickets are available online or at the box office.