Posts relating to school shows.
Posted by Roger on November 20, 2010
School Shows
After School Program
“What is this new-fangled blog thing?” asks old-time Monkey Roger, who is back doing a Barrel of Monkeys show for the first time since 2005! Many of you were younger back then.
Okay, so it’s me, Roger. Having lived in Los Angeles acting in film & television for the last five years, I am back in Chicago and rehearsing the latest Monkey show that will be at Loyola Park this Monday! I’m very excited about it! We have had four rehearsals and have adapted some amazing stories. Some favorites include “The Orb of Light,” “The Time I Broke the Superhero Code,” and “Untitled (Meat Ribs),” in which I play Zeus, the son of the Titans. He is a charismatic and powerful character so I understand why they cast me.
Also, I have written my first monkey song in a very long time, based on the story “The Day Cheeseburgers Were Made!!!’ by Diamond J. It’s a great story about some lovely vampires who only wanted to have tacos for dinner, but after their mother mistakenly made the first cheeseburger ever, which they hated, they developed a taste for blood. As Diamond writes, “That’s why vampires drink blood and how cheeseburgers were made.” Now you know.
I have to confess I was very nervous about writing music for the monkeys again after being away for so long. I wasn’t sure if it would come back to me. Fortunately, it is like riding a bike—a superfun, slightly stressful, and exhilarating bike. It mostly just felt great to be creative and contribute to a group again. In Los Angeles, I loved doing screenwork—being on set is really fun—but I felt like the sense of collaboration and imagination that makes Barrel of Monkeys so wonderful is lacking out west. I know that may sound like I’m being superior and perhaps you think this kind of self-congratulation has no place in a high-class website like this one (there I go again), but I really feel like I have been gone for so long that I have an outsider’s perspective and that this is in fact an honest point of view from a fan. There are plenty of talented, wonderful people in L.A. who do sometimes work together and create some great work, but a lot of the focus, especially for people low down on the Hollywood ladder (which is most everybody), is on individual achievement. Switching from that to creating for something greater than myself feels fantastic.
I also play a pregnant chicken in the show.
Posted by Kurt on November 4, 2010
School Shows
The 2nd school show of the year begins!
Ah, Avondale—that ol’ chestnut. We’ve been to Avondale a few times and the journals are always teeming with possibilities. The brilliant young minds of the Avondale School are responsible for stories such as the epic and transcendental “It Was a Cold Day,” an untitled story regarding puppies and Michael Jordan, and a tale that every American can relate to, “In Love With a Grill.” (Isn’t that a Roy Orbison song?)
The cast for the Avondale show is this, listed in order of height, from shortest to tallest, as my memory serves me: Emjoy, Tom, Anthony, Zoe, Brandon, Annie, Rachel, Ricky H., Philip, Luke (directing), Matt Miller, and Kurt.
Reading the journals, we found the students were particularly interested in the genre of “scary story” (Bonus points for any kids reading this: look up the definition of “genre” and put it in the comments section- always learning!). Some of the scary stories we’re adapting include a skull who is missing the bones of his body and a witch that flies to the top of the “Sears” Tower. One student described in grave detail a massive disease outbreak. And of course we have “demons and witches and vampires and werewolves, and ghosts.”
And judging from the first two rehearsals, this cast is really into props, mostly hand-crafted. Pens and paper and poster-board are going to be flying across the room. Puppets will represent mud, water, and farts. We will all win various theater awards for our efforts.
One last very special thing about this show: this is Zoe Schwartz’s very first school show as an official member of our Performing Ensemble! Zoe’s been teaching and performing with us a ton, but now she’s got the green light to call herself a Monkey. Three cheers for Zoe!
More later, and hopefully with more pictures of us in the action.
—Kurt
Posted by Carly on October 28, 2010
School Shows
Greetings Monkey Blog Readers!!!!!!
This is Monkey Carly here, bringing you the LATEST and GREATEST from the FIRST SCHOOL SHOW OF THE YEAR!!!!!
This is my third year doing the New Sullivan show, and these kids have done it AGAIN! People, this show is about to ROCK. Tomorrow morning we will descend upon the New Sullivan student body (just in time for Halloween!) with tricks, treats and tales of crazy ninjas, terrifyingly hideous bat babies, gluttonous sharks and MORE. But it’s not all sillies and willies - Emjoy, Donnell, Ricky and Diana have put together an incredibly poignant song about caring for family members that honestly had me tearing up in rehearsal. Wait. Hold the phone. Do you guys know Diana? She’s a brand spankin’ new musician - fresh out da barrel - and she’s KIND OF amazing. Listen for the hit single “The Day Grandma Gradel Robbed a Bank”, based on the epic tale by Kwinton Berry (and Donnell may or may not be starring as Grandma Gradel. Don’t even worry about it).
Here’s a sneak peek of a story that takes place in a hair salon. AMAZING.
This is Donnell matching his vest to his drink (hot).
Finally, here’s a shot from a great story about a ride at a carnival…you can’t hear it, but this story has a pretty hoppin’ soundtrack.
That’s just a teeny tiny bit of what we’ve been working on. I’ll take some more photos tonight.
OH!!!!! AND WE ARE DEBUTING THE NEW CLOSER TOMORROW!!!!!! It’s so good! The music! High-five Philip! (and Luke for the staging and choreo!!)
TTYL, LYLAS, LOL, OMG, BFF,
CARLY!
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 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!!!
