Posted by Meredith on April 1, 2015
It’s Spring Y’all! It’s time again eating al fresco and for THAT’S WEIRD GRANDMA Matinees! Have a fancy brunch date in Andersonville and see the show at 2:00pm. What else would be better for a Spring Sunday afternoon?
To get you in that brunch mood- we’ve added “I am a butcher, I love meat” and the “Princess who don’t like Ketchup” to the show!
I am a Butcher and I Love Meat By Adarius W., Dewey
I am a butcher and I love meat love me and the meat’s so good for people.
I’m a butcher and I love meat
Let me count the ways
One, meat is so good for people
Two, meat can be so juicy
Three, meat can be so meatish
Four, meat is so tender
Five, meat is good for you
Six, meat is a nice thing to eat
Seven, you can put it on a grill and you can put lots of juicy things on it
That’s why I love meat.
Princess Who Don’t Like Ketchup By Myeshia S., Henderson Elementary School
Once upon a time there was three Princesses named Beyonce and Cinderella and Cindrillion. The three Princesses where goingout to eat and one of the princesses tasted keptchup and said this is so naste I am not eating keptchup ever again. Then a nother Princess said keptchup out they had fight and then Cinderala had whone the fight. The next day they asked each-other do you want to be in the group again and just Promise we won’t fight again. And kept on going out to eat. The end
The Code: Say “meatish” To Ambar at the box office for discounted Tickets.
See you at the show!
Meredith (guest director)
Posted by Amanda Farrar on April 1, 2015
The Monkey Minute
The Big Wedding: Everyone Get Married was a Fancy Schmancy Fundraiser benefiting Barrel of Monkeys, and the event held on March 28th marked our 13th fundraiser. Thank you for all who came out and celebrated the imaginations of children! What was the amount raised to support our work in Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Park Districts, you ask? $34,325 and counting! Board Member, Mike Maddaloni, provides his point of view of his first Barrel of Monkeys’ gala.
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The Big Wedding Was Outrageous!
By Mike Maddaloni
It was about 11:30 pm last Saturday night. The last of the guests of the Barrel of Monkeys’ annual Fancy Schmancy gala, “The Big Wedding,” had left the Drucker Center in Chicago and it was time to clean up. As the lights came up, the space that was this great event was transformed back to its primary function as 2 gymnasiums, prompting me to stand there in disbelief, and the only word I could use to describe it?
Outrageous!
When I say outrageous, I mean it in a good way. No, I mean it in a great way. If you are curious to why this came to mind, it was a line that Lionel Richie shouted over and over and over during the 1985 American Music Awards – you can get a taste of it here in this YouTube video.
These adjoining halls just hours before were the intimate setting for a great fundraiser and party for Barrel of Monkeys, not to mention the setting for a wedding of Rosanna and Buck, the story by a student of a Barrel of Monkeys’ creative writing class that inspired the theme for the event. From once you entered and got your corsage and then over to the gift registry, silent auction, candy buffet, photo booth and bar (what’s a wedding without a bar?), then into the main wedding reception complete with tables for guests and the dance floor. Designed by the creative team that puts on That’s Weird Grandma and our other shows, it was a truly beautiful space with plenty of room to dance and socialize with friends or complete strangers.
The Drucker Center was not the only thing decked out for the night. Many people wore wedding dresses, tuxedos, tacky bridesmaid dresses as well as other choices for dressy attire. The theme of the wedding, which was performed by the company actors, engaged all of the attendees, who watched from either their tables or chairs resembling a house of worship. The fact that everyone “got into it” made the night even more fun.
Of course this was not a complete surprise to me, but as I had never been to a Barrel of Monkeys gala event before, I had not experienced first-hand the magic and elegance of it all. I just joined the Board of Directors for the organization last fall, and this was my first major event with them. With the coupling of the aforementioned creative team and help from the staff, company, board and friends of the Monkeys, the transformation to a great space was possible.
Overall the night was a success. Thanks to the handiwork of many who worked to setup, run and takedown the event, as well as the myriad of sponsors and donors of items to the silent auction, it was a true win-win for Barrel of Monkeys and all the students they teach, as well as those in attendance on Saturday evening.
If you don’t believe me, look for photos for yourself on our social media channels – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It was truly an outrageous night in Chicago – if you were there, thank you, and if you were not, as we say here in the Windy City… next year!
Posted by Joe on March 26, 2015
Y’all! There are only two more chances to see That’s Weird, Grandma: The Musical!
Come see what everyone has been talking about!
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Say “The Carnies Are Ready” to Ambar at the box office to receive discounted tickets!
See you at the show!
Joe
Posted by Amanda Farrar on March 26, 2015
The Monkey Minute
Company Members
School Residencies
Three years ago, Barrel of Monkeys had the wonderful opportunity to offer our arts education program as part of Super 7, an after-school program for girls at Willa Cather Elementary created by singer-songwriter, composer, and record producer Janelle Monae. Barrel of Monkeys has been excited to continue this project with Super 7 for the past three years. A 12+ session program, as opposed to our typical 6 session program, the teams have been able to add new curricula and create impactful connections with the students. For the first two years, Zoe Schwartz was a teaching artist for this program, but was unable to continue her participation in year three due to other commitments. What follows is Zoe’s lament regarding missing the pleasure of working in the program this year.
Want to support our school programs? An easy and fun way is to attend our fundraiser on Saturday, March 28! The Big Wedding: Everyone Get Married is a big celebration of this story and all the 6,000 stories that will be written this school year!
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Zoe, I won’t Never Understand You: A letter to the Super 7 Girls
By Zoe Schwartz
Dear Super 7 Girls*,
I miss you. I miss you soooooo much. After teaching at your program for the last two years, it is weird to not be spending time with you. I remember our first year when there were 10 of you. Two girls for every teacher. It was kind of an amazing way to get to know you. We got to spend so much time hearing each of your stories and seeing your amazing voices develop over our residency. And some of those stories I will never forget: Pretty Skunks, Hello Kitty and the Dog, and that one time Fontayza wrote the line “Zoe, I won’t never understand you.” Me neither, Fontayza. Me neither.
Because we were a small group and such BFFS we even had the chance to make and keep a lot of really funny inside jokes. I know I still smile every time someone mentions burgers and corn! (Sorry other readers- inside joke with my BFFs from Super 7 Girls!)
Then last year, as the 3rd graders turned into very mature 4th graders and you got a new bunch of 3rd graders and the group doubled in size? So exciting. To be able to spend time with the girls I already knew and on top of that get to become BFFs with the new class of Super 7 Girls was incredible. I loved watching the girls I knew really well write even bigger and more developed stories and then turn to help the younger girls remember to include a setting or figure out a way to end their story. Teaching at your program two days a week for 8 weeks meant that I was spending more time with you than some of my friends! That’s crazy!
I really specifically remember this one time last year when we were going over the agreements. (In case you don’t know - Barrel of Monkeys has five agreements that the students go over at the beginning of each class to remind us of the importance of every idea being a good idea, supporting each other, respect, listening, and being safe.) You girls knew them like the back of your Monsters High Backpack. We were struggling as teachers for a way to keep them exciting and interesting to you. That day, Donnell had the great idea to sing them. He had individual girls sing each agreement in a different style. And boy did you guys rock it. I hadn’t seen that much commitment to those agreements since they were probably first written by Monkeys from the Stone Age one million years ago.
Because we had such a long schedule last year, we got to have some really fun writing theme days that aren’t usually in our curriculum. I remember that time we got a letter from an alien and got to save its planet! And that time we made a newspaper! And that time we got to sit around an (imaginary) campfire and tell spooooooky stories. Each of these days you guys brought so much energy and excitement to the room. Even days when you were hungry, angry, or sleepy, you would still find a way to show off your excellent imaginations. I think this was because you felt that Barrel of Monkeys was important. I think you always pulled through because you knew that we were doing something special in that room every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. You knew this was the time you got to be YOU and figure out how to express that to the world. And it was sure incredible to witness that magic for two years in a row.
Like I said earlier, you girls rock and I miss your magical girl power every day!
LYLAS,
Zoe
Posted by Amanda Farrar on March 19, 2015
Here’s where this particular wedding, The Big Wedding: Everyone Get Married, is exceptional: everyone is being celebrated, including YOU. You know what day it is? It’s the BEST DAY OF THE YEAR.
Cocktails from Crafthouse Cocktails, beer from Rock Bottom Brewery, dancing to Toast & Jam‘s amazing DJ, hors d’oeuvres, wine, the most entertaining wedding ceremony since Tony n Tina, so why stop there?
Treat yo self to the raffle for 2 tickets to a taping of Saturday Night Live AND to incredible auction prizes!
We still have these wonderful big ticket items! But there’s more…
Here’s a little preview of the ways you can get a little self care from Barrel of Monkeys’ Silent Auction:
Treat Yo Self
This item includes a haircut and color service from Douglas J Aveda Institute, 1 Finally Free lifetime membership from Simi Botic, 1 month ulimited yoga at Bloom Yoga Studio, a facial and gift basket from Arbonne International, and this GIGANTIC BOTTLE OF WINE from Frances Ford Coppola’s winery (company member Nick Hart’s head for size reference)!
Tour de Brunch
Brunch it up at Tre Kronor, Cafe Selmarie, and Goddess and the Grocer!
Body Love
Be good to your body with this package that includes one-month unlimited membership to The Bar Method, one-month unlimited yoga at Core Power Yoga, and an acupuncture exam and treatment at Aligned Modern Health.
