Posted by Amanda Farrar on April 24, 2015
The Monkey Minute
Company Members
School Shows
School Residencies
The overwhelming majority of Barrel of Monkeys’ programming occurs in Chicago Public Schools. During the school day, a team of five teaching artists teach third through fifth graders over a six-week period using theater as a tool to teach creative, persuasive, and narrative writing. The benefit of bringing five teaching artists into the room is that we can deliver one-on-one attention to students more so than is possible in a one-teacher scenario. We are able to build each student’s self-expression abilities by providing writing alternatives as needed, including writing in native language, storyboards, and student dictation. Further, Barrel of Monkeys always validates each student’s ideas through high-quality professional performance, especially those students who may not regularly receive such validation.
Company member Tim Soszko shares his own experience with a student in the classroom and what it was like for them both when performing his adaptation of the story they wrote together.
A reminder, after Sunday’s 2pm performance of That’s Weird, Grandma, the theater is dark until June 8, but there’s always a green light for making a donation to support the imaginations of children!
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Adventures in Adaptation
By Tim Soszko
There was a student who, when we would come into her class, was often already in trouble. A particularly sad part of it was she seemingly had no control over and didn’t realize what she was doing. She definitely enjoyed the Barrel of Monkeys teachers being silly, but we were never sure if she enjoyed the games we played in class. She didn’t respond much to questions. Individual writing was a challenge. She didn’t write with ease. One of the Monkey teaching artists were always on hand to help her write, which isn’t abnormal in these residencies. Lots of students need a little help writing or coming up with an idea or just a confidence boost to keep going.
This student needed a lot of coaxing because she didn’t seem to know what was going on at times. On dialogue day she was sitting with her notebook in front of her, pencil in hand, looking around, not sure what to do. I sat down next to her and re-explained the writing assignment. Come up with some characters, a setting, and then have those characters talk to each other like in a movie. She wanted to write a story about school. And when I asked she said she wanted to be one of the characters. Anyone else? She said I should be one of the characters, too. Great! I told her I love being in stories (because it’s true). How should these characters feel about each other? They should be friends. I liked that too. The dialogue she wrote was very simple: hello, how are you, let’s be friends. They’re happy, they shake hands, they say goodbye. She was very proud of her story. She shared it with the kids around her, showed her teacher, and kept talking as we left.
In our reading meeting all the teachers noticed this was the only story she had really completed. If there is a student that’s struggling or would really benefit from the confidence boost seeing their story adapted on stage, we’ll choose it. And this was one student who truly deserved it.
During rehearsal I excitedly shouted that I’d like to help adapt her story. I had a great idea to present the dialogue in a way she would appreciate. Extremes! With just two people. There were big, loud dance and song numbers. And huge physical movements when we shook hands accompanied by loud sound effects. But all the dialogue and emotions were then presented very simply and positively. Back and forth between these extremes. It was super fun to perform. And the author smiled, puffed up a bit, and looked around to see that other kids were looking at her.
For me, that’s always the first thing I tell people that Barrel of Monkeys does for kids. It boosts their confidence in their creative endeavors. If they feel like they CAN do it, then they’ll WANT to do it more. They know that their voice is worth something. Hooray.
Posted by Meredith on April 22, 2015
Hello!
You have two opportunities to see this amazing cast of ‘That’s Weird Grandma’ this weekend. We will be performing at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) at 1:30pm on Saturday and then we are back at the Neofuturist Theater at 2:00pm on Sunday. This is our last weekend of shows until June and out last matinees, so don’t miss it!
We’ve put in a fun dialogue from last year that we will perform word for word and accompanied by a set of bagpipes (really)!
SHARK AND THE WHALE by Omarion B., Morton
Setting: Ocean
Shark: Live me a long
Whale: Make me
Shark: I going to eat you alive
Whale: Not before I eat you!!!
Shark: I said I was going to eat you
THE END
Also, Sunday is Lacy’s last performance with Barrel of Monkeys before she leaves us for the West Coast. Don’t miss her Amazing Zurine!
THE AMAZING ZURINE By Bella D. Loyola Park After School Program
Hi my name is Emma. I live in Colorado and my parents are divorced my mom lives in Colorado and my dad lives in Texas. I’m going to see him for the summer my dad owns a farm. I was at my dad’s and I wanted to go horseback riding. Her dad didn’t have any time so she went alone. She took a horse named Zurine and he was her favorite horse. One day she was going to go out horseback riding. She couldn’t find him and so she tried to find him but she couldn’t. But finally she saw him hurt. His hoof was stuck under a fence. They got him out and cured him. He was good as new. Everyone lived happily ever after. The end.
The Code: Say “Zurine, Zurine!” To Ambar at the box office for discounted Tickets.
See you at the show!
Meredith (guest director)
Posted by Meredith on April 16, 2015
We are getting ready for our exciting performance at Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) at McCormick place on April 25th! In preparation for the big day, we are adding two new stories that will fit right in this week. Check them out before the big convention this Sunday at 2:00pm! Also, you only have two more weeks to catch us at 2:00pm Sundays!
Untitled Halo3 by Victor R. Cleveland
I would like if our city wouldn’t have Halo3 games
First, because Halo3 effect the mind of all the kids that play.
Second, the kids will want to kill in their minds.
Finally, I would like to play but now its not for me.
In conclusion, this way the world would be better with Halo games
Not So Much Pressure By Lazaireus P, Morton Elementary
I am Batman and I believe that I shouldn’t save the world every day.
One reason why I think I shouldn’t have to save the world every day is because I is saving the world every day and he has a life and it should not just be about saving people because he could probably die just like other humans could.
One more reason is because while he is outside trying to save the world who will save his family from danger because it’s not like he could teleport.
The end
The Code: Say “Teleport” To Ambar at the box office for discounted Tickets.
See you at the show!
Meredith (guest director)
Posted by Amanda Farrar on April 16, 2015
The Monkey Minute
Company Members
School Residencies
There is a predominant concept in improvisation which is “Yes, and!” The idea is that if your partner presents an idea, your job it support the idea and add to it. Barrel of Monkeys embraces this concept in all of our work, and ask any Monkey and they will tell you that Tom Malinowski is the embodiment of “Yes, And”. More than a concept to be used on the stage, Tom encourages us all to use it in our lives day to day. The following is the “How To” guide from the “Yes, And” guru! Enjoy.
You can practice your “Yes, And” skills with Barrel of Monkeys! For example: “Yes! I will read this article AND I will come to the matinee performance of That’s Weird, Grandma on Sunday at 2pm!” OR “Yes, I will come to the matinee on Sunday AND I will make a donation to support the imaginations of children!”
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Yes, And: A Lifestyle
By Tom Malinowski
Journeys can take on a multitude of forms – a trek across the cosmos, figuring out how to drink a purple ocean, and even changing a square tire. Hesitation is normal and natural when it comes to embarking on journeys, both strange and familiar. Barrel of Monkeys helps foster creativity and confidence through writing and acting. During the 1st day of a Barrel of Monkeys elementary school residency, the kids are apprehensive yet eager to participate in the activities – warming up, brainstorming characters and ideas, and finally creating a story. Even though we try our best to create an atmosphere of openness and ‘just write anything,’ there’s that pause a student can have when it comes to having such a boundless imagination. “Can I write about my sister who picks on me?” “I don’t know if I want to write about dragons eating cars or cats liking cheese.” “I think all children should have free video games.” We say YES to these ideas AND we want a bit more. “Yes to your sister, and can you describe her” “Yes to both dragons and cats, and what kinds of cars do the dragons eat?” “Yes to free video games, and is it ok if adults like free video games too?” A little bit of detail goes a long way. We accept their ideas which are amazing and funny. We want to be clear to them too why we like what they’re creating. “I like how you describe the lake because it reminds me of a vacation I took when I was your age.” “That’s funny because a bug would say that to the bird!”
When the performers and educators take to the stage and adapt a child’s story, we continue our “YES, AND” philosophy. We want to stay true to the story and not overstep any boundaries, nor do we want to make the story simplistic. Barrel of Monkeys has been around since 1997, and that in itself shows that we have succeeded in helping so many ideas come out of the best place: a child’s imagination. And one way we celebrate this is by bringing it to the stage. The actors are in a constant flux of give and take, which is the ultimate YES, AND. These stories deserve to come alive in the best way possible.
At first I was hesitant in teaching for Barrel of Monkeys, but it opened my eyes to the whimsical, hilarious world of kids. I was also nervous about auditioning for Barrel of Monkeys. But in the end I said yes, and ended up teaching and performing with Barrel of Monkeys for over 13 years. Being a performer and educator helped me to choose the path of a librarian. I now reside in Boise, Idaho and I’m one of the Branch Librarians for Boise Public Library. Although I miss my comrades and being in the classroom, I’m still doing YES, AND with my story times, outreach programs, and dealing with the public. “YES I can help you find that book, AND may I make a suggestion as well?”
Posted by Mary T on April 15, 2015
School Shows
Listen. Come a little bit closer. Lean in close to your computer monitor or laptop or teeny tiny phone screen or large computer-sized phone screen. I’m going to tell you a secret. Here it is: Barrel of Monkeys runs on PROPS. That’s right! You heard me right! Props! “What do you mean?” you’re saying to your screen, “I thought you were all about stories!!” Well, the REAL truth is WE ARE. We ARE about stories, but we are also all about props. We love props. Props help us tell the stories that we adapt even more vividly and help us create beautiful, engaging, and hilarious stage pictures.
The imaginative team of actors(including me!!) for Lorca Elementary’s upcoming show has been hard at work preparing a fabulous set of stories to be presented next Monday. So far we have been focusing on honoring the stories’ fun characters and imaginative plots, so we have yet to even use props to tell the stories. That doesn’t mean we haven’t been thinking about props, though! We’ve been thinking about what props we will need to rehearse with in our final dress rehearsal so that when the day comes, Maggie knows what props to bring to our rehearsal space at Loyola Park. It’s important we get at least one rehearsal in with the props so that we know we are using them in the most effective way possible and so we know where to place our props before the start of the show. This helps us to not lose our props so easily. (I have lost props before. It is not fun.)
Here is a list of props I am most looking forward to using in this show:
1. The boat, the shark and the other boat in the story “Boat” by Robert V.
2. Fake mud in the story “The Four Sisters and Stepsister” by Selena L.
3. Abraham Lincoln’s beard in “John and the Awesome Meditation” by Ian O.
That is just a mere TASTE of the great props we will be using for this show. 
I love props! I can’t wait to bring the show to life with all the props we are going to be using. Wait. I have a question for you, though. Where did I put my props?!?!
