Barrel of Monkeys announces 10th anniversary of That's Weird, Grandma
Monkeys from across the country reunite in Chicago to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "That's Weird, Grandma" (TWG) on Monday, April 11 at 7 and 9 p.m. at Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. Included in the role call of former Barrel of Monkeys (BOM) alumni are co-founders Erica Rosenfeld Halverson and Halena Kays, founding member Kristie Koehler Vuocolo and former musical director and company member Jonathan Mastro among others.
Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble, conducts writing workshops with students from underserved Chicago public schools and turns their stories and words into professionally-performed theater, presented both in-school and through a weekly review for the general public called "That's Weird, Grandma". BOM performs more than 150 stories written by the students in their educational programs on the stage of TWG each year.
For the 10th anniversary celebration performance of "That's Weird, Grandma", audience members get to vote online prior to show time to inform which stories from the last 10 years are presented. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.
Adored by audiences of all ages, TWG is a hilarious, bizarre, and high-energy presentation of songs and sketches written by Chicago kids. The material originates in BOM's creative writing workshops in the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park Districts; the company's professional theatre artists then adapt a selection of stories for performance. The result is an audience favorite-a show that is "safe" for all ages, yet very much appreciated by an adult audience. "That's Weird, Grandma" (named for a line from the original 2001 run) changes each week based upon audience vote (switching one to three sketches each performance) and has now produced over 1,000 stories and musical numbers.
While working with BOM, Halverson received her PhD from Northwestern University in the learning sciences, an interdisciplinary field in education that focuses on how to design learning environments that account for learners' social, cultural, and cognitive needs. Currently, Halverson is an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2010, she received the prestigious Jan Hawkins Award for early career contributions to humanistic research and scholarship in learning technologies.
Kays is the co-founder and former artistic director of Barrel of Monkeys where she created and directed the majority of their public performances including "That's Weird, Grandma". Currently, she is a member of The Hypocrites theater company where she has performed and directed. In the fall of 2011, Halena will become artistic director of The Hypocrites.
Currently, Vuocolo is the supervisor for the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit, a national organization which brings elements of the circus to children in hospitals, and is an ensemble member with the Neo-Futurists Theater Company. Vuocolo teaches journalism and theater at North Park University in Chicago and also coordinates the education programming with the Neo-Futurists.
Mastro currently teaches musical theater at Colby College, Waterville, ME. He served as the music director for and was on the faculty of Columbia College Chicago's Theatre department for 6 years. Most recently, he composed, musical directed, and played Simon Stimson in the Off-Broadway revival of Our Town.
Barrel of Monkeys celebrate the 10th anniversary of "That's Weird, Grandma" with two special performances Monday, April 11 at 7 and 9 p.m. at the Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
For tickets or information call 312-409-1954 or visit barrelofmonkeys.org.