Get In On The Con With The Neo-Futurists 'Trust Us/Screw You'
By Sophie Day in Arts & Entertainment on May 15, 2015 4:10PM
Those who are familiar with the Chicago theater and sketch scene have probably heard of The Neo-Futurists. The group is perhaps most well known for the long running Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind—a show in which they perform 30 plays in 60 minutes—which runs every weekend. In fact, Too Much Light inspired an episode of WBEZ's This American Life, in which they attempted to tell 20 multi-format stories during their one hour segment.
For the next few weekends, however, The Neo-Futurists will be presenting a show called Trust Us/Screw You, which celebrates and examines the history and techniques of American confidence men throughout history. Written and performed by Dan Kerr-Hobert and Phil Ridarelli, the show is a deep dive into charming stories of con men of old and meditations on the con men that we are surrounded by today.
We attended the opening night of Trust Us/Screw You and were absolutely blown away. Those who have enjoyed a show at the small theater on Ashland will immediately recognize the infectious energy and plentiful audience participation, but unlike the Too Much Light shows, Trust Us/Screw You has a comparatively more traditional narrative flow. Kerr-Hobert and Ridarelli break down history, scams and terminology through story and song, all while picking marks from the crowd. In its more serious moments, the show reflects on more contemporary scam artists from Wall Street brokers to megachurch pastors.
At every single turn the show and its performers are hilarious, and the production is incredibly well-crafted. The sound design and transitions are perfectly done while the scenes themselves fly by with not a dull moment throughout. Even when the show wades into deeper and more serious waters, it never feels trite or manufactured. When compared with the sly tone throughout the rest of the show, these moments of honesty play true and, at times, heart-wrenching.
We cannot recommend this show enough; go see it while you have the chance. And if you can, check the show out on a Thursday when The Neo-Futurists will host an extra event called Booze and Beguilements before the performance, sponsored by CH Distillery. Doors will open at 7 p.m. on these nights and Begyle Brewing Company will supply local beer while local talent will perform. For more information, check out The Neo-Futurist's website.
Trust Us/Screw You runs Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.until June 13. Tickets are $20, with VIP tickets available for $25.