Posted by Luke on November 29, 2009
That's Weird Grandma
Buzz among the Monkeys is that this show is not to be missed. Only two weeks left before it’s a whole new round, new cast, new show!
Also, here at BOMCOM, we consider Monday to still be part of the greater Thanksgiving holiday experience time. I know it’s strange. But you win, because it means one more week of SPECIAL THANKSGIVING PRIZES!
Enough about prizes.
The art:
The two new pieces going into the show this week are:
W-I-A-R-D – a dialogue in which 3 girls discover a cryptic note. Who wrote it and why? It was definitely written by a boy as “boys don’t have good handwriting.”
Expensive Things – a persuasive argument with the thesis “I believe all expensive things should be dropped down to three dollars!”
Insert Black Friday joke here.
See you at the show!
Tickets available here.
Running order below.
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Posted by Rachel on November 28, 2009
School Shows
After School Program
The Loyola Park show brought out our artsy craftsy side! Sarah, the head of the after-school program made a wall display of all the fantastic stories kids in our program wrote this fall.
New Monkey Caleb and I adapted a story about a house that is “too small.” That’s Levy poking her head through the windows.
New Monkey Marla created this fantastic hamburger puppet—yes, that’s the Whopper Jr. who tries to warn JFK of his impending assassination. As you can see, the warning is for naught.
Lacy and Luke came up with the stagecraft to make these ghosts float with Caleb’s magician’s wand and then fly into his hat.
And Laura G and I made a story about a Gingerbread Diary! I made the cookies, and Laura made that teensy tiny diary—it even has a staple clasp to keep it private.
Posted by Rachel on November 23, 2009
That's Weird Grandma
Aw, remember when it was Halloween? And Brennan wore the pumpkin head?
And Tom didn’t want Jason to put makeup on his pumpkin face?
And everybody wore a lot of orange?
Even special limited edition Monkey Witch shirts?
That was fun.
The last Halloween story has left Grandma. Laura says she doesn’t like when holiday stories stay in after their respective holiday. I have to agree, but is it really almost Thanksgiving?
Pilgrim’s Bounty just started on World of Warcraft, so it must be true.
Two things I’m thankful for:
Our long, sunny autumn. My first winter in Chicago, the first big snow happened on October 16. We are having a sweet fall season, y’all.
AND
Getting to play Jenny for the first time ever in “Thanksgiving.”
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!
Read more
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.
