Posted by Jason on June 15, 2010
Hi there,
They say this whole newfangled interwebs doohickey helps word travel like wildfire! (That could be the oddest sentence I’ve ever typed…) Let’s see if we can prove it.
Chase Community Giving is back, and there’s a chance for BOM to win between $20,000 to $250,000!
We only have a chance to get this donation if we get a lot of votes, so pleasepleaseplease go vote (why not do it right now? It’s fast!) and please get the word out to your peeps ASAP via email/Facebook/Twitter/etc. to vote for us too.
Voting Way #1: Click on this link.
Voting Way #2: Search for Chase Community Giving on Facebook, type in our name, and VOTE.
I believe you may only vote once for any organization, but you have 19 other votes to spend elsewhere if you’d like. Many schools are having their funding cut, and this money could help keep us in those classrooms.
Thank you so much. Please spread the word!
Posted by Luke on June 13, 2010
That's Weird Grandma
TWG Weekly Update
This is that magical time of year when, almost overnight, approximately three-hundred-and-twenty new stories become eligible to appear in That’s Weird, Grandma. This occasion is marked by Celebration of Authors which commemorates the end of our year of school programming. All of the pieces created during this school year can now grace the TWG stage. And there are some new greats coming into the show. SEVEN new pieces to be exact! That means the show is like 33% brand new from what it was just two weeks ago. And if it’s been more than a month since you’ve seen the show? Well, that one you saw might as well have been in Elvish.
The new pieces are…
Daisy & Jimmy - Daisy is just a bunny, but she beats up bears in the forest for fun!
The Icey Ripoff - Alan’s attempts to eat ice cream unperturbed lead to one giant RIP OFF!
Bingo- winning at Bingo gets you the best prizes of all: chips, juice and many back-up dancers.
I’m- “I’m so good on my birthday, I might get an Xbox 360.” It’s a country song, naturally.
The Forbidden Planter- an epic song about the beginning of everything.
Immigration Argument- students from Little Village have some words for the president.
How to Make Me/Diamond- A first date leads to a show-stopping # by Gabriella.
All this and more if you come to the show Monday night.
Get $2 off at the box office by mentioning the password “Ripoff”.
See you there!
Running order below.
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Posted by Tai on June 11, 2010
Company Members
Celebration of Authors
Every June, after the Monkeys celebrate the authors, teachers, and schools that we work with, we reconvene at a secret location to celebrate our fellow company members at our annual post-Celebration of Authors party and awards ceremony. Awards are given out recognizing everyone’s outstanding work in our school performances throughout the past year, such as “Best Shady Character,” “Best Creature,” and “Most Heartfelt.” (This year’s stories featured numerous appearances by our nation’s President, so a “Best Obama” award was warranted.)
At the end of the ceremony, the prestigious Tom Malinowski Award for Enthusiasm and Commitment to Monkey Greatness is presented. Our Artistic Director, Luke Hatton, describes it as such: “It is bestowed upon an individual in the company who made extraordinary contributions toward the success of Barrel of Monkeys this year.” Previous recipients of this award include Sarah Goeden, Curtis Williams, Mike Spatafora, Luke Hatton, Tai Palmgren, Jason Sperling, and Rachel Wilson.
Joining their ranks this year is Donnell Williams.
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Posted by Bradford on June 9, 2010
Celebration of Authors
School Shows
After School Program
First and foremost, big time congrats to all the students we taught during the year, the partner classroom teachers, and all the schools that welcomed us in their doors. Yes. You guys rock!!
Celebration of Authors 2010, what can I say; there’s absolutely no better way to cap off the school year. The chance to reconnect with fellow Monkeys, seeing students you taught during the year, and of course all the wacky things that go on back stage. (IE) The ride em cowboy pre-show warm up…. enough said.
Pulling off the show is such a herculean effort, I always feel part of a rag tag army setting out on mission impossible. And after all the hard work, there’s nothing like seeing the crowd file in and then taking to the stage for Show Time.
There were countless highlights, but here’s a few that stuck in the good kid’s mind: Meeting a few of the student’s parents and taking pictures; running into the house to catch the “Snow Ball Fight”; and trying not to break when Philip came out in his fancy dress and hat as Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler…. hilarious!!
So here’s to another great year Monkeys, I’m already looking forward to COA 2011. Oh Yeah!!!
Posted by Alexis on June 7, 2010
Company Members
The first in a series of monthly interviews with members of Barrel of Monkeys.
How long have you been with Barrel of Monkeys?
I’ve been with Barrel of Monkeys since the Fall of 2003. After graduating from Northwestern, where I was in Griffin’s Tale, I said to my friend Laura Gray, “I have to keep doing this work, I hear there’s a professional company, how do I become a part of it.” And she introduced me to the Monkeys.
Do you have a favorite BOM story to perform right now?
Oh geez, well right now we’ve brought back an old favorite called Eddie’s Rim Shop, where I play Eddie’s wife ... it’s fun to do that story. I also like stories like The Beat where you have to get something right.
What do you do when you’re not being a Monkey?
I work for Steppenwolf Theater Company and I’m the Production Coordinator there. So it’s always fun when I get to see my Monkey pals at Steppenwolf, and whenever I read in someone’s bio at like the Goodman Theater or Steppenwolf ensemble member at Barrel of Monkeys, it’s like “That’s right! Check it!”
What does Production Coordinator mean?
Production Coordinator is kind of a weird title - basically I am the Assistant Production Manager. What that means is along with my boss (the Production Manager) I help oversee the Steppenwolf Production Department - who are the people that make the scenery, the costumes, hang the speakers, point the lights, run the show and in general do everything to make the play happen. Production managers are responsible for managing budgets, calendars and people. If we have done our job correctly, the show opens on time, under budget, and is just as the director and designers want it, with everyone working on the show feeling satisfied, and probably with a beer in their hand on opening night.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, I have a monster named Booker T. Uffelman. He’s an eleven month old English Bulldog, and he’s the most handsome dog in all of Chicago. He’s very charming ... he’s at home right now eating ice cubes.
Okay, so pretend you can’t be a Monkey or a Production Coordinator at Steppenwolf. What is your dream job?
Butter judge. No question. I’d be a butter judge. One day I was flipping through a food magazine and there was a full-page ad for some kind of artisinal butter. It said “winner of the something-something prize and the something-something prize for fine butters.” I put my university education to use and said, “if there are prizes for butter, there is someone whose job it is to taste butter and judge it …. Butter judge.” Absolutely my dream job. Oh my lord, you just spread it on a baguette and taste it and take notes, and compare it to the other butter, and then you mix it in with vegetables … That, or the people who take care of bee emergencies. You know, there are people who are a squad and they go take care of bee disasters. So butter taster or the volunteer bee squadron.
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