neofuturist

Neofuturist is a term used to describe an adherent of neofuturism, a broad contemporary movement in art, design, and performance that reinterprets earlier Futurism through late 20th- and early 21st-century technology, culture, and sensibilities. In its various forms, neofuturism tends to emphasize speed, dynamic form, advanced materials, digital media, and a forward-looking, experimental attitude. The term is not tied to a single codified doctrine but rather to a family of practices that favor innovation over historicist revival.

In theatre, neofuturist approaches are most prominently associated with The Neo-Futurists, a Chicago-based company founded by Greg Allen in 1981. The troupe is known for presenting original, often improvised works in a rapid, modular format. Their signature show, historically described as 30 Plays in 60 Minutes, features a changing program of brief plays performed in the present tense, with minimal rehearsal, limited or no scenery, and an emphasis on immediacy and variety. The Neo-Futurists influence contemporary experimental theatre through an insistence on risk, immediacy, and audience-facing performance.

Beyond theatre, neofuturist ideas appear in discussions of design and architecture that stress futuristic aesthetics, technologically driven construction, and innovative material use. The term can describe practitioners across disciplines who pursue progressive, future-oriented forms, while remaining distinct from historical Futurism. The use of neofuturist terminology typically aims to signal a contemporary, technologically informed approach to creation, rather than a single school or manifesto.