Sundown Collaborative Theatre

Excited about our upcoming project, The Haunting of Hill House? We are too!

Want an early look at our spine chilling poster? Subscribe to our Patreon for exclusive early access!

And keep your calendars open for October 4-6th and 11-13th for a truly terrifying experience! We will see you there! 👻

Check out the poster for our next show! | Sundown Collaborative Theatre Get more from Sundown Collaborative Theatre on Patreon

We want to take a moment to celebrate getting to 1000 followers on Instagram! If you are new around here, welcome! We are so happy to have you and to be part of this amazing artistic community we’ve found over the years. Come join us, learn more about us, and if you’re not following us on this journey yet, consider doing so now!

Thank you SO much to all of the incredible people who support us and make this collaborative company possible.
We love you all!

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[Alt text: A graphic with a sky blue background bordered by flecks of falling gold confetti. In the center is the number 1000, each number thick enough to feature a picture inside. The 1 is a picture of Robert with arms up and out to the audience and mid-excited yell. The first 0 is a group picture of all of the artists involved in the 24 Hour Play Festival. The next 0 features a promo picture for Body Stories, with Brandy holding a mirror and two of the cast members’ smiling reflections. The third 0 is a group picture of Sundown, with Criss, Julia, Jacob, and Lindsey’s faces visible. Above the number are two red chat bubbles featuring white hearts. Below that is cursive red text that reads, “Thank You!!” Below the 1000 is text that reads, “Followers”.]

Here at Sundown all of our members and collaborators are humans first, and sometimes life happens. Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, we will not be able to move forward with our next show this summer.

BUT that doesn't mean it wont happen. Stay tuned for updated 2025 summer dates! We are passionate about this show and the creative team's vision, and we cannot wait to bring it to you NEXT season!

Thank you for your understanding and your support. Stay tuned for what's next and most importantly, be good to each other and yourselves!

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[Alt text: graphic featuring a background of dark rippling water. Large neon yellow text at the top of the graphic reads, “The Amphibians” and below that to the right smaller light teal text reads, “By Dan Caffrey” Below there is a circular image of some sort of creature swimming in water - only one rear leg and a long flat tail are visible. In the lower right of the image there is text that reads, “Directed by Erin Malone Turner” Overlapping the image in the very center is a black box with an outline of bright red. Within the bus is large red text that reads, “Postponed”]

🌈 ☀️Happy Pride Month from your friends at Sundown! ☀️🌈

This June, we celebrate the vibrant and diverse LGBTQIA+ community—which includes many members of our company as well!

Theatre has always been a space for challenging norms, expressing individuality, and embracing authenticity. As we honor Pride Month, we stand in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ artists, audiences, and allies. We believe in the power of storytelling to reflect and amplify the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences in our community.

THANK YOU to every single person who came out to one of our Too Much Light performances!!
Whether you chose the experience of a fly on the wall or a star on the stage, you helped bring the chaos to delightful life and we couldn’t be happier!

Your support means everything to us, and we can’t wait to see you again soon!

So…stay tuned, friends. 👀🐸

ALSO - a huge shout out to the incredible cast, crew, and our front of house volunteers - It’s an honor and a privilege to create and enjoy and facilitate fun, weird art with y’all.

Come back again soon! 💙

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😲 Sold out!?

Too Much Light's final performance is looking very full, but come by before 8 for your chance to be squeezed in. Tickets will be available at the door for any cancellations or no shows!

Let's do this thing ONE MORE TIME!!

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Just 2 more chances left to come experience this one of a kind show!

Saturday's show is nearly sold out, but we've still got tickets for you tonight. Don't wait too long though- scoop em up now!

A little anxious about the audience interaction? Don't worry, YOU get to choose your level of interaction with our actors. Be a fly on the wall or soak up a moment in the limelight - the choice is yours!

See some of y'all tonight!

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Are YOU ready for a second set of shows? We are!!

We’ll see you at Thursday (tonight), Friday, and Saturday!

All shows start at 8pm, but we have it on good authority that the shenanigans start well before then, so feel free to come and get your BINGO cards and popcorn and settle in early. House will open between 7:30-7:45.

We’ll see you very soon for round 2!!

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Thank you again to Denton Record-Chronicle for the write up on our company and our current project!

Buy your tickets for Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind: Vol 2
Only 3 more opportunities to come join in (or observe) the chaos: Thursday, Friday, Saturday at Aura Coffee - all shows at 8pm!

Space is limited and tickets are starting to go fast, so don’t delay - grab yours now!

https://sundowntheatre.org/shows/

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Thank you Denton Record-Chronicle and Camila Gonzalez for such a thoughtful and detailed write up about our production and company!

We may have closed our first weekend of Too Much Light, but we will be back next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!

Hope to see you then!

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Denton’s interactive theater company lets audience run the show in latest chaos-filled production There are few singular theater experiences in Denton that offer a mix of genres and the opportunity for audience interaction. There are even fewer shows with a title that might

👶👶👶 Catch the sequel of a lifetime! 👶👶👶

We still have tickets available for tonight’s performance of Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind: Vol. 2! Grab yours now! —or, if you’re busy this evening, catch us next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!

In the meanwhile, check out these cast sequel posters made by the one and only Joshua Dobelbower!

Can you guess what they are? Comment below with your ideas!

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😲 WE OPEN TONIGHT!!! 🎉

And we cannot wait to bring this show to audiences to create something brand new every night!

The show runs tonight through Saturday (May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) and then again next week (May 9th, 10th, 11th) at Aura Coffee - all shows at 8pm!

Come on out, play some BINGO and our drinking game, win a prize, support a nonprofit and some incredible artists all at the same time!

Make sure to buy tickets soon - last year we started selling out quick - space is limited!

Head to the event for all the details: Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind: Vol 2 or go ahead and grab your tickets now - https://sundowntheatre.org/shows/

See you soon!

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How could we not introduce you to the director of it all?

1/2 of the great minds that brought you TML last year have returned!—and his name is Ryan Davila! He recently sat down with last year’s co-director of vol.1, Lindsey Hall, for a quick interview. Read on to learn a little more about what’s new this year and to get insight into what this show means to Ryan.

(Psst - if you join our patreon at the $10 tier, you can read the interview in full! patreon.com/sundowntheatre )

Don’t forget - tickets are available now and space is limited! Head to the event for all the info!
Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind: Vol 2

And without further ado, here's part of the interview:

L: What is different about the show this year compared to last year?

R: This year, the biggest difference is, instead of two people picking the shows like last year, it was a total of seven people picking all the plays for this show. I wanted them to pick the plays and direct them because everyone has their own style.

L: Is there some more serious and heartfelt stuff in there this time around?

R: Yes, there is. This year because we had more people than just myself picking the plays, we were able to get a much more broad variety of not just comedic ones. The Neo-Futurists have a wide variety of plays, and allowing other people to pick the plays allowed for this show to have a wider range.

L: Why do you think shows like this are important?

R: There are some traditional theatre pieces that are great, but for the most part, I just really love chaos. And that's what I really like about this show.

When we advertise that this show is different every single night, we're not blowing smoke. It absolutely is. And we build it out that way, not only is the structure of the show catered to be different every night - we add on to that to make sure if you come one night, there is absolutely no chance you will see the exact same show in the exact same way if you come again.

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💡✨Wrapping up our cast spotlights with the wonderful Jacob Drum✨💡

A long time Sundown member, we adore Jacob. Don’t you dare miss this show and break his sweet heart! (And don’t miss it, because you don’t want to miss his incredible, adaptive performance abilities!) Read on to hear more about Jacob.

Tickets are available now! Head to the link in our bio for more information!

Jacob Drum (he/him | the one in green): 
Jacob “The Druminator” Drum is a cyborg sent from the future to alter the course of time. So far, his efforts have resulted in his involvement in Sundown’s recent productions of the 24-Hour Play Festival and Body Stories, as well as Theatre Denton’s A Play That Goes Wrong. He urges all audience members to tell their friends and family to come see the show, as it is imperative to the safety of the timeline. The future is in danger of running out of blinded babies, and only you can prevent the shortage from ever happening. This may not sound like a dire problem to the people of the past, but trust us, it absolutely is. When reached out to for further advice on how to avert Blind Baby Apocalypse, The Druminator gave cryptic warnings such as “What the hell are you talking about?” and “I’m not a robot, you lunatics! Leave me alone!” Truly unknowable.

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💡✨It’s time for another cast spotlight!✨💡

Up next we have Jessica! If you saw last year’s TML, you’ll recognize her! One of sundown’s newest members, we are so happy to have her on board. Read more on to learn about Jessica!

Jessica Barnes (she/her | the one in yellow):
Recipe for Thespian Biographical Cake
 by Jessica Barnes (she/her)
==================
Ingredients:
* Melodramatic Molasses (1 gallon)
* Improvisational Zest
* Spontaneous Script (1 dram)
* Ego (boost of confidence)
* Irrational Radiance (for lighting design)
* Gestural Hint
* Grated Shakespearean Riddle
Directions:
1. Harvest Melodramatic Molasses (1 gallon) after role in horror play. (Misery, Theatre Denton).
2. Fold in Improvisational Zest to enhance Neofuturist debut. (Sundown, Too Much Light Volume1).
3. Quickly prepare a dram of Spontaneous Script for time-sensitive creativity. (Sundown 24 Hour Playwriting Festival).
4. Fold in Ego for confidence, embodying character until Irrational Radiance is felt. (South Plains College).
5. Add a Gestural Hint for dramatic flair; Grate Shakespearean Riddle for depth. (Texas Woman’s University).
6. Serve hot with a side of passion and a garnish of perseverance. (Sundown Collaborative Associate Member).

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💡✨If you need a little sunshine today, we have someone wonderful for you to meet!✨💡

Brandy has the very important job of making sure all Sundown members and cast members have a warm feeling inside, and they’re very good at it! If you saw our previous production Body Stories, Brandy served as our creative guide for it! Read on to learn more about them!

Brandy Townsend (they/she | the one in pink) is again uncomfortably and slightly against their will writing this bio. Writing bios may not be one of their favorite things, but being a Sundown member since December 2019 is! Their proudest accomplishments in that time and indeed in all their time in theatre are leading Body Stories and organizing a 24 hour playwriting festival. They performed in Sundown’s first attempt at 30 plays in an hour and were drawn back like a moth to all the baby blinding light!

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💡✨Check out our next cast spotlight!✨💡

If you’ve come to a Sundown show in the last…well, forever really…then you definitely know Robert! (How could you miss him, he’s incredible!) Read on to learn more about him!

Robert Linder (he/him | the one in blue) was foolish enough to graduate from the University of North Texas with a double major in Theatre and English. He has since split his time evenly between a life of scandalous hedonism and performing in ALL the Sundown shows. 
Some memorable performance experiences with Sundown have been Larry in Mr. Marmalade, Rumpel in Happily Ever After, Henry in Carter Stubbs Takes Flight, Autolycus in (The Winter’s Tale), Todd in Far Away, Robot in Dinosaur and Robot Stop a Train, Professor Down in Jacob Monroe Hates Clowns, Father in Eurydice, Michal in The Pillowman, and Actor in The Woman in Black. He was most recently seen desperately attempting to elevate his artistic tone in Theatre Denton’s production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as Brick. He has also, very long ago as a wretched child in Gainesville, performed in a different production of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind for the Butterfield Stage Youth class under the direction of the legendary Pat Adams, who taught him everything he knows about acting. 

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💡✨Have you thought about what you’re thankful for today? May we suggest thinking about Matthew Eitzen? ✨💡

…well we are thankful for him. If you caught his stellar performance in How I Learned to Drive or saw TML last year, you should know what an adaptable performer he is! Read on to learn more about Matthew.

Matthew Eitzen (he/him | the one in orange):
Name: Matthew Eitzen
Age: Early Thirties
Hometown: Plano, TX
Alma Mater: University of Oklahoma
Known Aliases: “Matt”, “Eitz”, ”The One in Orange”, “The Professor”, “Mr. Baby”, “The Beggar”, “The Blind Man”, “Yo no hablo ingles”, and “I hate that ******* guy”.

WANTED FOR:
Loitering, tax evasion, petty larceny, vandalism, simony, grand larceny, misuse of construction equipment, sedition, espionage, double parking, and for just, y’know, generally not knowing when to shut the hell up.

This criminal is unarmed and intermittently dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him. Instead, write down where you saw him on a small piece of paper along with your real name, your secret name, and your favorite remix of Old Town Road. Then, fold that piece of paper in half and bury it in either your  backyard, or the nearest patch of dirt to your apartment. We’ll find it.

No purchase necessary, void where prohibited. This offer is not available in all states or in the Territory of American Samoa. Terms and conditions apply.

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💡✨We know how to make your Monday better…with a new cast spotlight! ✨💡

Have you enjoyed our poster and cover photo? Joshua Dobelbower will be glad to hear that. He made them after all. You may have seen him in our production of How I Learned to Drive as well as various Sundown projects (we love him!) but read on to hear more about him!

Joshua Dobelbower (he/him | the one in white):
You ever heard of “Gotta catch ‘em all”? Well, this guy did that. Twice. He’s got a knack for catching things: Pokemon, the audience’s attention... and maybe even your eye. You might recognize him from his performances in the 24-Hour Play Festival, How I Learned to Drive, Java Scripts: Double Shot, or as the creator/director of Ghost Hunt. Oh, and he made the poster or something—I don’t know, I stopped trying around the time his ADHD kicked in and he went to go look for something completely unrelated in another room. When asked why he always gets his wife to write his show bios for him, he is quoted as saying, “I don’t write funny, I ACT funny.” Look, that’s all I got. If he wanted this to be more in-depth, he should have written it himself.

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💡✨We hope you’ve had a great weekend! Let’s see if we can make it even better with another cast spotlight! ✨💡

If you don’t already know Jordan Desmarais we are terribly sorry, but now that you will after reading this post, we are certain your life will improve! Read on to head what Jordan shared about themselves below!

Jordan Desmarais (she/they | the one in purple) is an actor and artist based in denton proper, but she was not born here…oh no,…for that place is long forgotten and only dared spoken in trickling dark whispers accompanying a mysterious wind that only blows while walking down a hallway barefoot with a certified emotional support possum. —More specifically the celestial chosen certified support possum, since any other possum may emotionally support you; it just won’t know the way. it WILL know the way to Sundown. We should all thank the possums in our lives; they’re saving modern american theatre.

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💡✨Back at it with our next TML cast spotlight! ✨💡

Meet Immanuel Garcia! We are so happy to welcome him back after working with us most recently on our 24-Hour Play Festival! He is a delight. Read on to learn more about him!

Immanuel A. Garcia (he/him | the one in red) is a recovering optimist from McAllen, TX. He is a poet, playwright, educator, and Gaelic culture fanatic. He was recently seen in Theatre Denton’s productions of The Play That Goes Wrong (Max/Cecil/Arthur), and The Odd Couple: Female Version (Manolo Costazuela), was a featured playwright in Sundown Collaborative Theatre’s 24-Hour Play Festival and is a Tejas Storytelling Association Story Slam Champion. His weird poetry book (Pèace De Résistance) can be found on dead Android phones, or most online bookstores. His greatest successes can be chalked up to this ensemble’s overflowing talent. His loudest love songs belong to his family, friends, and most often, Sar.

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💡✨Ready for our next TML cast spotlight?! ✨💡

Meet Alex Donato! We are so excited for Alex’s Sundown debut and you should be too!! Read on to learn more about this talented actor/director!

Alex "Diamondback" Donato (he/him | the one in black) hails from a dimension where Sunday brunches are celebrated with songs of corn pudding, and the snozzberries taste like snozzberries. Armed with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Catawba College, Donato has journeyed through eclectic productions from "Re**er Madness" to "Woyzeck." While in Atlanta, GA, they became a master of mystery, captivating audiences in countless murder mystery productions. Before he’s yet sucked through the inevitable wormhole of fate yet again, he’d like to remind everyone to keep your children away from direct light and to keep your own eyes focused on the production ahead - lest any of his old archnemeses find their way here from a certain unlocked dimensional gate.

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We are officially just 2 WEEKS AWAY from opening night! 😲🎉
(Check out the event for all the details: Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind: Vol 2)

To celebrate, we’re going to introduce you to a new cast member every day, starting now!

First up is Elaine Riehle! We’re thrilled to be working with her for the very first time, and can’t wait for you all to see her hilarious work on this show, as both an actor and director. Read on to learn a bit more about her!

Elaine Riehle (she/her | the one in light blue)
is a playwright and actor from FW. She is complying and tolerant to being a part of her first Sundown show! Her work has been produced by the St. Edward’s 24 Hour play festival and The Guinea Pig, with her first full length play Another Set of Issues staged by Luckenbooth Theatre. She has been seen on stage in staged readings of Teaching a Robot to Love and Lend Me a Chainsaw!, both new musicals premiered with MusicalWriters last year. She definitely has acting experience before that but literally don’t worry about it. That was before Elaine fell into that vat of radioactive women. It’s fine, DON’T worry about it.

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🎟️💡Tickets are officially available for Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind Vol 2!! 💡🎟️

Grab em while you can!

https://sundowntheatre.org/series/too-much-light-makes-the-baby-go-blind-30-plays-in-60-minutes-vol-2/

Head to our event link below to learn more about the show! We hope to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/share/bD38hTHTapFuJCvE/?mibextid=9l3rBW

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[ID: A picture of the Too Much Light cast standing in front of an abstract mural of muted yellows, blues, and greens. The picture is taken from the ground of a parking lot, looking up at the group of actors, all of whom are looking directly down at the camera with varying expressions of confusion and shock. From left to right we see Elaine, Robert, Alex, Immanuel, Matthew, Jessica, Joshua, Jordan, Jacob, and Brandy.]