Posted by Luke on November 22, 2009
That's Weird Grandma
Special Thanksgiving prizes await you after the show…
All the trimmings are in place…
Barrel of Monkeys does not attempt the theatrical style of Harold Pinter often, but when we do, the results can be devastating.
A seasonal classic is returning to the Neo this week; Thanksgiving. In it, John must fight through the icy, tension-filled silence of his dysfunctional family in order to bring joy into the room.
Also, perhaps you’re planning travel this Thanksgiving? Well, take comfort in the fact that no matter how turbulent your travel experience, it can’t go as badly as it does for the poor, naive family in The Freakey People and the Baby, this week’s other new piece. This family flies to a remote island, then leaves their baby there to be raised by juice-box-sipping natives!
See you at the Neo to witness these dramatic new pieces and many more!
Buy tickets here.
Runlist below!
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Posted by Lacy on November 21, 2009
School Shows
After School Program
Today, on the anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, I pose this challenge to all Barrel of Monkeys company members, ensemble, and fans:
Ask not what you can do to completely blow the mind of young authors, but what young authors can do to completely blow your mind.
Not so much of a “challenge” as a tastelessly-worded setup to this dialogue written by BJ at the Loyola Park Afterschool Program, to be performed at the Loyola Park show on Monday.
In the words of many pretentious Shakespearean actors: sometimes all you can do is get out of the way of the text.
Characters: John F. Kennedy
Whopper Jr. (JFK’s Friend)
Setting: Burger King in Washington, DC
JFK: O my goodness which should I get Whopper or Whopper Jr.
WJ: John! John! Pick Me! We need to talk.
JFK: I get a whopper with onions so what do you want to talk about
WJ: I don’t think you should go to Dallas-something is wrong here. I don’t have a good feeling about this trip.
(They are off to the 1.5 million $ plane)
JFK: The whopper is good. I have to go. I feel you.
(They arrive in Dallas & get in the Rolls Royce)
WJ: John, be careful out there. I don’t want to have to go back to Washington without you.
JFK: I told Bush that I will be here.
(JFK is in the car, 25 miles away, waving to the people. 5 minutes later somebody shoots him and the car rushes to the hospital.)
JFK (cont’d): Take care of the country
(and about 3:00 he die)
WJ: John! John, come back! (with anger) I told you this would happen. (with determination) I will find the killer if it’s the last thing I do.
It’s happening at the Loyola Park show on Monday. I don’t think you’ll want to miss this one.
Posted by Lacy on November 21, 2009
That's Weird Grandma
School Shows
After School Program
As Thanksgiving approaches, I look forward to the sights and sounds of the holiday season, including cheaply made electric lights, dried brush and trees, and unattended candles, all warming my 900-square-foot condo.
Speaking of mansions, perhaps this is a good time to take a look at instances of devastating housefires in both That’s Weird, Grandma and the very exciting Loyola Park After School Program show, BOTH happening Monday.
In Grandma, we have “The King and The Queen,” in which Miranda, the young queen, has a bad morning, after which she “went outside, put the mansion on fire, and left the mansion burning to flames.”
Well. Heavens.
In an untitled opus by Jaerell, making its debut at the Loyola Park show, the lead character Kenny arrives home after winning a cruise around the world, to find his luck has come to an abrupt end: “when the cruise was over, Kenny called a taxi driver but when he got into the taxi Kenny asked the address the taxi driver said the mansion was burned by people just by accident.”
People, people.
We MUST STOP BURNING our MANSIONS!
Sadly, neither character recovers from the disaster or resulting homelessness (second lesson: MAKE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPARE BEDROOMS) (OR AT LEAST A FUTON). The narrator from The King and The Queen informs us that Miranda “was on the street looking for money so since she didn’t have food so she died,” while over at Loyola Park, “Kenny was shocked he became homeless by the next 100 days Kenny died of heart attack Kenny was 63 years old. Fin.”
Sixty-three. So young. And Miranda was only 25. Cry, cry, monkeys. Cry.
So, what have we learned?
Fire leads to starvation and cardiac arrest.
Kenny’s story has a surprisingly artistic/european end. Or maybe Jaerell was suddenly thinking about sharks?
Food for thought this Thanksgiving, friends. I’ll mull it over while I decorate a fire extinguisher and arrange garlands attractively around our newly installed sprinkler system.
Posted by Luke on November 15, 2009
That's Weird Grandma
Boom!
There are some new and beautiful pieces going into the show this week.
First we have “Big Things” describing many, well, big things. E.g. “Your imagination is big because you can think of many great ideas.”
Also, the poem is staged in a really awesome way with stellar prop design by our own Dixie Uffelman.
The second piece going into the show also features Ms. Uffelman and Ms. Elizabeth Levy.
Rather than try to put into words the intricacies of “Untitled (Setting:Library)”, let’s just show you a picture:
Come to the Neo-Futurarium on Monday night at 8pm to see these beauties! (and many more).
Buy tickets here!
Full running order (with updated links!) belooooooow.
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Posted by Luke on November 9, 2009
That's Weird Grandma
Whoa. It’s a whole new round, whole new cast, whole new running order!
SIX new stories are going into the show this week.
You’re gonna see some real winners here-
1. Superheroes- It’s a battle between “?” and “!”
2. Spider Monkeys- a rousing musical number. “Web was on people.”
3. The Three Friends- 3 old men show everyone who’s king of the neighborhood, then go to the park to bask in the glory.
4. My Dad at the Panda Express- See what happens when Montell’s father’s Orange Chicken order takes too long to arrive…
5. Untitled (a girl named silver)- One of Silver’s powers is bequeathing short names to people!
6. Turn Back the Clocks- it’s an all-out new-age house jam!
See you at the plays! Buy tickets here.
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