Posted by Rachel on October 6, 2008
School Residencies
The first Monkey residencies of 2008-09 are well under way, and Cleveland School got a head start on everyone, starting way back on September 9th. We have two big fourth grade classes, and a faboo teaching team which includes Erick Deshaun Dorris, Sarah Garner, experienced volunteer teacher Katie, and brand new volunteer Lupe.
We’re into the groove of things with these kids, and they’re writing some brilliant stories.
The Cleveland School has produced some of my personal faves over the years, including the cheerleading classics: “Cheerleaders!” and “A Bad Day,” which is currently in Grandma. Why do I like them so much? Well, “Cheerleaders!” gave me the chance to play co-captain of a winning cheer squad, and in “A Bad Day,” two men have a cheer fight to the death over me. Yes, I’m using the children’s stories to live out my childhood dreams, and I make no apologies for it.
On dialogue day, we give students the opportunity to improvise scenes before they sit down and write. Then, at the end of class, we invite the students to share. They can choose to perform their own dialogues or have Monkey teachers act them out. It’s always tempting to plant ideas in the students’ heads of characters we Monkeys would love to play. But we resist.
Last week, the students created brilliant, stage-worthy characters all on their own. Don’t think I wasn’t secretly pleased when two girls chose myself and Katie to read their masterwork dialogue between two friends named Tasty and Tastier. We never know what’s going to make its way into the school show, but regardless, I can now mark “Play character named Tastier” off my list of things to do before I die.
Posted by Maggie on October 6, 2008
Shopping for Hats
By Bria T., South Loop School
This picture reminds me of my granny going shopping for hats Trying on all kinds of hat and talking all day will she ever go clothes shopping she was waste all her time and do not get a hat or her best friend. Why dose she like the hat. I think they all are crazy. She will learn to stop getting hat. This is an old people thing you do not know what I have to do.
This is one of my all time favorites! This story was in my first year of TWG and I will never forget Ryan and Tai piling hat after hat after hat on top of their heads. Yelling “Hats!” with tremendous glee.
But where did all these hats come from, you may ask…
Well the Annual Fancy Schmancy Hat Trimming Party. The most refined BOM event of the season.
Yesterday afternoon Dixie, Elizabeth and I gathered at Heidi’s home (the only house in Chicago with shutters, a very refined place for ladies making hats) with totes in hand full of extraordinary crafting materials including fake fruit, birds and a miniature tea set.
Armed with hot glue guns and thread we began…
They started off quite tasteful
So many flowers…. So we started nesting
Isn’t she just lovely? Wouldn’t you like to come to fancy and fashion one of these lovely hats?
Remember to buy your tickets soon!
FANCY SCHMANCY 2008
so you can wear one of these….
See you at Fancy!
maggie
Posted by Heidi on October 5, 2008
That's Weird Grandma
It’s a whole new round of TWG. The new cast will be in just for the month of October, and I can bet there will be some scary stories for them later on this month.
Meanwhile the new stories for this week include the old favorite “BMX bikers” as well as “It was a cold day” and “when I know how to ride my bike”
Full running order after the jump.
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Posted by Heidi on September 28, 2008
That's Weird Grandma
Tonight will be the first performance of TWG in many months not featuring Cowboys Who Fighted. The story will be missed, but if you didn’t see it at least once, then…you haven’t been coming to TWG enough this year. I kid. A little.
It’s being replaced by a delightful story from last year that has never before been seen by the public. Exciting!
Also, tonight is the last week of what we call “round 1” of this year. New cast starts next week, so this is your last chance for at least two months to see the prodigious talents of the folks like Tai, Tom, Mary Winn, Tim, Donnell, Kurt, Erick and Meredith who will be cycling out of the show. If that’s not incentive I don’t know what is.
Full running order after the jump.
Read more
Posted by Heidi on September 23, 2008
BOM is happy to be participating in the nationwide Free Night of Theater this October.
This is the official blurb:
“Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the not-for-profit American theatre, developed this exciting and innovative national audience development initiative to attract new audiences and raise public awareness about live theatre. As TCG continues to roll out the Free Night program across an expanding national stage, the program provides a unique opportunity for theatres nationwide to collaborate on a project that provides access for new audiences to experience the joy of theatre for the first time. “
In a nutshell, if you like theater, you can see a lot of it for free in October. Lots of styles and varieties on offer. Some shows are sold out already (and tickets only went on sale a couple hours ago!), but more tickets may be added later and I know for a fact that some have been held back for later release. The only place you can get these tickets is online. Love it!
Thanks to the League of Chicago Theaters for working to bring this program to Chicago.
