Posts relating to in-school residencies.
Posted by Amanda Farrar on August 30, 2013
That's Weird Grandma
TWG Weekly Update
School Residencies
Here at Barrel of Monkeys, we are so busy paging through all the incredible student stories from last year to bring to the That’s Weird, Grandma stage for your delight that we will not perform on Labor Day (Monday, September 2)!
We will have a new show with all kinds of new stories and old favorites for you on Monday, September 9.
All the magic Barrel of Monkeys brings to the stage begins with our teaching artists’ work with students in the classroom. Here’s a little snippet of what students and classroom teachers have to say about that experience:
“Barrel of Monkeys makes me feel like I could express myself in just a sheet of paper and I could let loose and it feels great, like magic out of thin air and magic pixie dust.” - 3rd grade student, LEARN Campbell Campus
“BOM was an excellent experience to improve writing skills, self expression and creativity. The more introverted students really came out of their shell and became more expressive.” - 5th grade teacher, Paderewski School
“The most important thing I learned is that anyone can be a writer.” - 3rd grade student, New Sullivan School
You can buy tickets here and we will always accept a tax-deductible donation to support the imaginations of children!
Monkey On,
Amanda Farrar
Executive Director
Posted by Amanda Farrar on December 15, 2010
Company Members
School Residencies
We thought you would enjoy this note written to the Monkeys from Catlalli R. from Columbia Explorers Academy.
Happy Holidays!
Posted by Rachel on October 11, 2010
School Residencies
We’re off, we’re off!
The fact that a day off from school actually feels like a break tells me we’re well into the school year. Normally, at this time on a Monday, I’d be at Loyola Park, helping the 9-10-year-olds in our after-school program create original superhero characters. And my first residency of the school year, Avondale, is already in its fifth week.
Last week was Dialogue Day, which means the kids get to suggest lots of characters for each other to play when they improvise scenes. Dialogue Day is easily my favorite lesson because it results in conversations like this one from Dewey last year:
ME: Would you rather play Invisible Girl or Nose-Picking Boy?
STUDENT: (after a looooong pause) They’re both good.
Yes, yes, they are both so good, but these are the decisions we have to make as artists.
Last week at Avondale, a girl wrote a dialogue between a girl and the monster who was about to eat her. She gave the girl a line that went something like this: “Wait, let me put on some makeup! A girl has to look her best before getting eaten.”
Who knows whether that gem will end up on stage? We’ll have to wait for November to find out for sure. It’s kind of beside the point, because kids in every single residency we teach write lines that goofy-delicious, and they make us, their teachers, laugh, and I think they have fun doing it whether or not they ever see those words performed on stage.
Posted by Amanda Farrar on October 6, 2010
That's Weird Grandma
School Shows
School Residencies
After School Program
Hello Blogosphere! I’m here to tell you about an amazing event that will be occurring very soon. For the past 9 years, Barrel of Monkeys has been presenting our Fancy Schmancy Benefit for the enjoyment of all and more importantly, to support our programming in under-resourced Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Park Districts. In order to truly embrace the nature of our writing residencies at the event, the theme of the evening will be “Magical Place”, based upon an audience favored story penned by Dulce H. from Columbia Explorers Academy* when she was in 4th grade. Read this story and so many more in our Story Archive!
Be amazed by the Magical Place that Fancy Schmancy will be at 7pm on Friday, October 22 at the Ravenswood Event Center, 4025 N. Ravenswood Ave. More info here! Purchase tickets or make a fully tax-deductible donation here!
The evening will be something like this. (But not quite.)
Fancy 10.5 from Barrel of Monkeys on Vimeo.
We are particularly excited about seeing Magical Place return to the stage after a year-long run and a four month hiatus during the live performance at the event.
Other highlights: New this year is a raffle for a trip for two to New York City to see Saturday Night Live! Includes round-trip airfare for two and two tickets to a live taping of SNL. Sorry to say that raffle laws prevent selling tickets online, but they are on sale weekly at “That’s Weird, Grandma” up until the drawing on October 22 - no need to be in attendance to WIN!
And! We are procuring some pretty incredibly unique and exciting auction items which we will tell you more about in future blog entries. Stay tuned, and monkey on!
*This school year will mark Barrel of Monkeys’ 10th Anniversary of partnering with Columbia Explorers Academy!
Posted by Bradford on October 21, 2009
School Residencies
Yes!!! I am trully enjoying “Stockton”. No doubt, it’s always a blast meeting up with the crew: Dana, Laura G., Goodrich, and Soszko over at “Angel Food” and ordering my usual English Muffin; but there’s nothing like walking into the classes every week and seeing the excitement on the kids faces. Not to tip my hat, but I think we have a few Barrel of Monkeys’ Instant Classics on our hands. Good times indeed. I can’t wait for the show. Talks to ya….
brad
