FREE THEATRE: Barrel of Monkeys’ THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA Tours Chicago Neighborhoods This Summer through Night Out in The Parks

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FAMILY FRIENDLY FUN

Barrel of Monkeys’ 

THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA

Tours Chicago Neighborhoods This Summer through Night Out in The Parks

An Original Sketch Show that is 

Written by Kids, Performed by Grownups, 

and Enjoyed by Humans

(left to right) Company members Kaylyn Carter, Nic Park, Carly Wicks, Brandon Cloyd and Bryan Bosque perform “IRS Moles” in Barrel of Monkeys’ revue THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows, we've been fans of these silly simians for well over a decade. Whether you're long time fans or have never seen Barrel of Monkeys (BOM) before, now's your chance to catch them for FREE through the Chicago Park District’s Night Out In The Parks initiative. Highly recommended hilarity. 

What's more fun than a Barrel of Monkeys? Free BOM shows in the parks!

Barrel of Monkeys is bringing its much-lauded sketch show THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA to audiences across the city this summer for a series of free performances through the Chicago Park District’s Night Out In The Parks initiative. The stories featured in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA are written by Chicago elementary school students, adapted for the stage and performed by Barrel of Monkeys company members and directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd. No reservations necessary. For additional information, visit www.barrelofmonkeys.org.

(left to right) Company members Carly Wicks, Gabriella Hirsch, Nic Park and Rachel Wilson perform “Glacier Living with Sharks” in Barrel of Monkeys’ revue THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Now in its eighteenth year, THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA features adaptations of stories written during Barrel of Monkeys’ creative writing residencies in Chicago elementary schools. BOM’s ensemble of professional actors, comedians and musicians bring the young authors’ stories to life as raucous sketches, songs and movement pieces, performing first for students in their schools and then for the public. These stories – from hilarious dialogues between unlikely characters to poignant pleas for social change – resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people. 

(pictured) Company member Laura McKenzie performs “Piranhas Should Not Exist” in Barrel of Monkeys’ revue THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Beth Bullock Photography.

Performance Schedule:


Thursday, June 27 at 5:30 pm
Gladstone Park, 5421 N. Menard Ave.

Friday, June 28 at 6 pm
Oriole Park, 5430 N. Olcott Ave.

Tuesday, July 9 at 5 pm
McKiernan Park, 10714 S. Sawyer Ave.


Monday, July 15 at 10 am
Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens, 1801 S. Indiana Ave.

Tuesday, July 23 at 5 pm
Mann Park, 3035 E. 130th St.


Night Out in the Parks brings more than 2,000 cultural events to parks in Chicago's neighborhoods throughout the year.  Chicagoans and visitors alike, enjoy the breadth of world-class events in every one of the city's 77 community areas and all 50 wards.  

In its seventh year, the 2019 Night Out in the Parks series brings more than 1,200 events to neighborhood parks this summer, making community parks safe havens and hubs of cultural activity.  From theater performances and concerts to community workshops, nature-based programs, dance performances, festivals, and more, there is something for everyone happening in the parks!  

(left to right) Company members Gabriella Hirsch, Bryan Bosque and Kaylyn Carter perform “The Queen with No Friends” in Barrel of Monkeys’ revue THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

About the Director
Brandon Cloyd joined Barrel of Monkeys in 2007 and has been deeply involved in many facets of the company ever since. Prior to joining BOM, Brandon graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Business Institutions. Within BOM, Brandon has served as an actor, teaching artist, lead teacher, a member of Teacher Corps, as well as directing shows for schools and public performances of That's Weird, Grandma. Before becoming the company’s Artistic Director in September 2017, Brandon served as BOM After-School Program Coordinator at Loyola Park from 2014-2016 and Program Director from 2016-2017. Outside of Barrel of Monkeys, he worked as the Associate Director of Camp Echo, where he has spent 13 summers managing campers and staff at a co-ed sleep away camp in Upstate New York. Brandon has worked with other theatre companies including Urban Theatre Company, American Theater Company, Filament Theatre, InGen Productions, ACLE's Teatrino in Italy and Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University. Brandon recently joined the Board of Directors for the League of Chicago Theatres.

(left to right) Company members Ashley Bland, Raquel Torre, Brandon Cloyd and Oly Oxinfry perform “Dear Purse Landlord” in Barrel of Monkeys’ revue THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

About Barrel of Monkeys

Since Barrel of Monkeys’ inception in 1997, its teaching artists have served more than 60 Chicago Public Schools. Over 15,000 elementary school students have participated in the Barrel of Monkeys programs, which aim to build students' writing skills, improve self-esteem, and instill confidence in their ideas and abilities.

Barrel of Monkeys is sponsored in part by Wintrust Financial, Allscripts, Inc., Ernst and Young and Punchkick Interactive. It receives generous support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the National Endowment for the Arts; a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; the Chicago Community Trust; Crown Family Philanthropies; Alphawood Foundation of Chicago; the Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation; Polk Bros Foundation; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; the Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.; The Saints; The Topfer Family Foundation, and many other generous individuals and foundations. 

LAST CALL: COLLABORACTION'S FREE PEACEBOOK FESTIVAL 8/26 & 27 in Uptown's Clarendon Park

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

COLLABORACTION'S 

PEACEBOOK FESTIVAL 

RUNS THROUGH AUGUST 27th, 

200+ ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER CHICAGO UNITE FOR CITYWIDE TOURING FESTIVAL OF PEACE-THEMED SHORT THEATRE, DANCE, MUSIC & SPOKEN WORD 

Collaboraction, Chicago's social issue-driven contemporary theatre, has been presenting a line-up of 21 new, crowd-sourced works for its first-ever PEACEBOOK Festival, a collaborative city-wide festival of theatre, dance, music, visual art and spoken word focused on cultivating peace in Chicago, presented August 12-27 as part of the Chicago Park District's Nights Out in the Park program.

Participating artists who have created new works for PEACEBOOK include GQ of the Q Brothers, Sir Taylor, Universes (directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce), Yuri Lane the Chicago Beatbox LTD, the Step-Alive Dance Team from Englewood, and many more.

Collaboraction created PEACEBOOK as a way to engage new artists, audiences, and communities in creating and sharing art that envisions a more peaceful Chicago. Each PEACEBOOK performance is a fast-paced collection of seven diverse, world premiere pieces of theatre, dance, and spoken word, each seven minutes or less, uniting Chicago artists citywide, and creating real connections with Chicagoans in communities around the city. Prior to each show, there will be a free community meal and peace fair with panels, workshops, and community organizations from a diverse line up of Peacemakers in Chicago. Additionally, each night features a different musical guest.

PEACEBOOK has been performed in a multidisciplinary festival atmosphere, for FREE at:

PEACEBOOK South Side/Englewood

August 12 and 13

Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72^nd St.

PEACEBOOK West Side/Austin

August 19 and 20

LaFollette Park, 1333 N. Laramie

LAST CALL: 

PEACEBOOK North Side/Uptown

August 26 and 27 

Clarendon Park, 4501 N. Clarendon Ave.

Prior to each show, the house will open with a free community meal and peace fair with panels, workshops and community organizations from a diverse line up of Peacemakers in Chicago. Each night also features a different musical guest.  To reserve FREE tickets, email boxoffice@collaboraction.org. For more information, visit collaboraction.org.

"From our 15 years of producing SKETCHBOOK, we know the power of an arts festival to build community, create artistic collaborations and launch careers, so we are delighted to bring our proven SKETCHBOOK format to the Chicago Peace Movement," said Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley. 

"We are delighted to announce these 21 new works of art that individually and collectively explore the meaning and root cause of peace. We are creating new collaborations in which established Chicago theatre artists are working with talented emerging artists from the neighborhoods of our park district locations. This is bringing together a new community and sending a new message to Chicago. And the shows are going to be full of energy, much like SKETCHBOOK, with live music and dance pieces and free food."

Moseley's call to action? 

"We encourage all Chicagoans who want to be a part of the Peace Movement to join us as an artist, audience or volunteer. We must all come together and address the biggest issues of our times, the epidemic of violence and inequality that is the result of 200 years of segregation. Theatre can unite us and activate us."

More about the upcoming plays:

PEACEBOOK North Side/Uptown

Clarendon Park, 4501 N. Clarendon Ave.

Friday, August 26 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 27 at 7 p.m.  

Bag and Tag devised by Sophia Pietrkowski

There are over 20,000 homeless youth in the city of Chicago. What happens to the things that are most important to us after displacement? This devised piece aims to bring awareness to a Bag and Tag service that will keep our homeless youth in possession of their most important belongings.

Beatbox Symphony by Chicago Beatbox LTD, directed by Yuri Lane

This piece will feature amazing beatboxers from around the Chicago area, including an interactive beatbox symphony conducted by Yuri Lane, also known as the Human Beatbox.

Co-ex-ist devised by Danielle Littman and Diana Raiselis

Littman and Raiselis are interviewing Uptown residents, business owners and workers with a central question: What does it mean for Uptown residents to coexist? The answers will be shaped into a hyper-local performance piece that touches on not only the neighborhood's concerns, but also its gifts, strengths and joys.

Everybody Loves Big E  written by Reginald Edmund, directed by Melanie Flores

A narrative from a 12-year-old bootlegger brings attention to the difficulty of making a living in a difficult neighborhood, and how police bias and brutality lead to unjust actions against people just trying to survive and find peace.

You're Mean, Work on That devised by Kasey Foster

Peace is a good thing, and this city of marches and protests is hungry for it. A dance piece about Chicago's fight for unity and love.

Folks Along the Way by Still Acting Up, directed by Genevieve Fowler

Still Acting Up is an audition-based senior citizens theatre troupe who hopes to debunk the myth of what it means to be a senior involved in the arts and wants to inspire audiences to action.

When the Lights Turn Off  by Jenny Lynn Christoffersen, directed by Spencer Diedrick

A spoken word ensemble piece about ignorance and privilege that shows how everyone must do their part to open their eyes and help fix the world's problems even though they may not be directly affected by some of them.

Musical guest August 26 is TBA. Musical guest August 27 is Nicholas Tremulis.

           

Chicago artists participating in PEACEBOOK include Collaboraction Artistic Director and PEACEBOOK Festival director Anthony Moseley, director Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Jennifer Chambers, Jenny Lynn Christoffersen, Justin Dietzel, Luis Crespo, Spencer Diedrick, Justin Dietzel, Melanie Flores, Yuri Lane, Ana Maria Martinez, Sophia Pietrkowski, Schoen Smith and John Weagly.

Collaboraction's PEACEBOOK Festival is presented as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series, supported by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Arts programming in neighborhoods across the city advances the goals of the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Cultural Plan. Now in its fourth year, the 2016 Night Out in the Parks series will host over 1,000 cultural events and programs at more than 250 neighborhood parks throughout the city, making community parks a safe haven and hubs of activity. Projects vary from traditional performances and concerts, to movies, peace rallies, community workshops, nature based programs, dance pieces, festivals, and more. The Chicago Park District has partnered with more than 120 arts and community organizations to expand and produce this successful initiative

PEACEBOOK is also funded in part by The Goodman Theatre and the NEA. 

For further PEACEBOOK updates, visit collaboraction.org, follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube or Instagram, or call the Collaboraction box office, (312) 226-9633.

About Collaboraction

Collaboraction (collaboraction.org) collaborates with artists, community activists, and citizens from throughout the city to create original theatrical experiences that push artistic boundaries and explore critical social issues with a diverse community of Chicagoans. Collaboraction has worked with more than 3,000 artists to bring more than 60 productions and events to more than 100,000 audience members.

Following PEACEBOOK, Collaboraction invites Chicago audiences to a diverse and electric 21^st season in 2016-17 tackling critical social issues of peace/non-violence, mental health and gender issues. In October, Collaboraction will introduce The Mars Assignment, a world premiere about several characters fighting depression, written and directed by Ronan Marra and created in collaboration with Collaboraction Company Member Elsa Hiltner. 

In February, Collaboraction debuts Gender Breakdown, a daring, provocative world premiere written by Dani Bryant and directed by Erica Vannon. A devised piece that speaks to the work of Erin Pike and Courtney Meaker, Gender Breakdown will explore female roles in the theatre by examining and deconstructing various text, genres and media of both past and present.

Collaboraction is the resident theater company in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 

1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., Room 300, at the epicenter of Chicago's Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods. 

The company's collective three-space venue, Collaboraction Studios, includes The Pentagon, The Vault and The Salon. These encompass 8,000 square feet on the third floor of the historic building, and are home to Collaboraction's own productions as well as a wide variety of visiting Chicago theater and dance companies and comedy groups. 

Collaboraction Studios are also home base for Collaboraction For-Hire, which creates custom special event design for private, corporate and civic clients, including the Art Institute, the City of Chicago, and more.

Production highlights include Collaboraction's acclaimed series of Crime Scene productions responding to Chicago's current crime epidemic, 15 years of the SKETCHBOOK Festival, Sarah Moeller's Forgotten Future: The Education Project in 2014, 2010's Chicago premiere of 1001 by Jason Grote, 2008's world premiere of Jon by George Saunders and directed by Seth Bockley, and 2007's The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow: an instant message with excitable music by Rolin Jones.

Collaboraction is led by Artistic Director Anthony Moseley, Executive Director Darcy Addison and a dedicated staff and board of directors. Collaboraction is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation via the MacArthur Foundation, and the Wicker Park & Bucktown SSA #33 Chamber of Commerce. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For tickets and information, visit collaboraction.org or call (312) 226-9633.

ACT OUT CLOSING: The Hypocrites Ivywild and Romeo Juliet FREE Night Out in the Parks #review

ChiIL Live Shows highly recommends Ivywild.   This weekend marks your final shot at seeing this rambunctious ride!   We finally got to check out Ivywild, The Hypocrites latest and it's pure magic. Who else would attempt to recreate an entire turn of the century amusement park complete with audience participation rides and flamboyant owners in the basement of The Chopin Theatre! These consumate story tellers pull it off masterfully! 

The costumes are a hoot and a half, as is the delightful acting.   This production has hints of 500 Clown and Barrel of Monkeys, other long time favs of ours, and understandably so with Jay Torrence writing and acting and Halena Kays directing!

Anthony Courser does steller physical comedy as Princess, the trunkless, alcoholic, philosophic elephant.  Put this on your must see list then go already. (Aimed at adults but fine for tweens & up.)

Click here for tickets.   Final shows are 7:30 today and 3pm Sunday.

Critics:

"IVYWILD is really 20% history and 80% lighted-hearted frolic. And it adds up to 100% entertainment from another amusing Kays-Torrence ride." ChicagoNow

"...reminds us that as adult realities, responsibilities and wrongdoings accrue, so too 

does our longing to  

return to childhood." NewCity 
     

"Anthony Courser (who is just fantastic, and truthful, as Princess the elephant)" Chicago Tribune

"Ivywild, the new play by the ever-audacious The Hypocrites, is part carnival, part Chicago history lesson. And it is a delightful 90 minutes of fact mixed with fantasy." Gapers Block

"People who would like this show are people who like amusement parks, yellow shoes, and pickles. People should go see this show because it is funny, sad, and lets you go on amusement park rides." Ada Grey, Age 8 

Audience reactions: 

"If you like Fellini, you'll like this production. The set, costumes, and performances were all 

evocative of one of the master's films. Very cleverly done."

"Ivywild is another excellent production by @thehypocrites. Looking forward to seeing yet more in the future."

"unique and entertaining! The performers did an amazing job portraying each of the characters. It was fun to learn about Bathhouse John and Ivywild. A great fun evening out!'

"story shows the truth behind the fleeting nature of this 

world's amusement and entertainment...The actors 

did a phenomenal job and really allow the small space to 

come alive."

"Very unusual production...wonderful choreography!"

"Incredible visual and sonic feast...Funny, educational, well-performed and with a sense of the period of these things that we get when we see old photographs."

"amazing, imaginative, and unique show... This was probably one of the most involving and complete theater pieces I've ever seen...funny, physically impressive, challenging, all-encompassing ...Brilliantly done and wonderfully memorable. I've lived in Chicago for 15 years now and have never seen anything like it."

"Go see Ivywild! It was a stunning and wild 

ride from top to bottom!" 

"A beautiful play. I walked in not knowing anything about it, other than the connection with Chicago history...The playwright, Jay Torrence, uses physicality and language beautifully, makes his and others' words pop off the page, full of breath and life..."

"Strange and charming, beautifully performed!"  

"My face hurt from smiling & laughing so much at Ivywild. 

Loved the aesthetic & storytelling."

  

"One of the best world premiere new plays I've seen. 

Not to be missed!" 

"If, like me, you always enjoy The Hypocrites, 

this won't be an exception." 

UPCOMING:

Rahm Emanuel announced that City of Chicago is kicking off the Night Out in the Parks campaign which includes The Hypocrites' 2012 production of  Romeo Juliet!

Walter Briggs, Tien Doman, Lindsey Gavel and Zeke Sulkes are back to bring you Sean Graney's Jeff nominated adaptation of these star-crossed lovers like you've never seen it before. And it is free!

This initiative allows us to bring our work to different neighborhoods in unconventional spaces. Tickets will go fast so make sure you tell your friends now. 

Click here for calendar and to reserve your tickets now.

Bard Badges Abound During Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Citywide FREE Tour of The Comedy of Errors

Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks Program Expanded

Photo by Michael Litchfield.

The cast of The Taming of the Shrew performed for more than 700 people at South Shore Cultural Center on Sunday, July 29, 2012 at the launch of Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, which toured July 29– August 19, 2012 throughout the Chicago Park District.

FREE FOR ALL July 25–August 25, 2013 27 Performances in 18 Neighborhood Parks Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today the expanded Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program as part of the City’s “Night Out in the Parks” initiative. Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST), the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and leaders of Chicago’s corporate community partner to expand the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program, after its inaugural success in 2012.  Photo by Michael Litchfield. Baptista Minola (Robert Joseph Miller) pronounces a match between his daughter Katherina (Ericka Ratcliff) and Petruchio (Matt Mueller) as Gremio (Mick Weber ) looks on in the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks production of The Taming of the Shrew, adapted and directed by Rachel Rockwell, which toured July 29–August 19, 2012 throughout the Chicago Park District. The citywide tour of The Comedy of Errors travels to neighborhood parks across Chicago, FREE FOR ALL, July 25–August 25, 2013. From Humboldt Park to Garfield and Loyola Park to South Shore, this summer’s Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks will break down barriers to arts participation and give Chicagoans direct access to their City’s cultural resources by bringing 27 free Shakespeare performances into 18 different neighborhood parks. “Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings Shakespeare to life at Chicago’s Navy Pier, in our neighborhoods and in our schools," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "The return of the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program will make Chicago’s neighborhood parks come alive with the thrill and magic of live theater. This is a fitting way to honor Shakespeare, and I thank Chicago Shakespeare Theater.” The expanded citywide tour is made possible by a renewed civic, cultural and corporate partnership between Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and The Boeing Company. Additional support for the program is provided by production sponsor for The Comedy of Errors BMO Harris Bank and the Chicago Shakespeare Trust, as well as Mayor Emanuel’s commitment to support the Chicago Park District’s programs and provide family activities throughout the city’s parks. “The arts are essential to building strong communities,” said Lianne Stein, Vice President for Global Corporate Citizenship at Boeing. “This initiative brings innovative arts programming to Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods and supports local artists and arts organizations." Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks is inspired by the open air setting in which Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed more than 400 years ago, and Joseph Papp’s twentieth century American initiative that brought free Shakespeare to urban communities. Beginning its summer tour on July 25 through each of the Park District regions, a specially equipped truck will roll into each park, a stage will unfold and CST actors will perform a 75-minute production of The Comedy of Errors. Staged and adapted by Jeff Award-winning director and choreographer David H. Bell, The Comedy of Errors is one of the Bard’s most popular plays about mistaken identities. Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks will kick-off at Gateway Park at Navy Pier on Thursday, July 25. Additional parks scheduled to be visited, rain or shine, include Chicago Park District North Region Parks: Frank J. Wilson Park, Loyola Park, Riis Park and Welles Park. Central Region Parks: Eckhart Park, Douglas Park, Dvorak Park, Garfield Park Conservatory, Humboldt Park and Piotrowski Park. South Region Parks: Gage Park, Hamilton Park, Marquette Park, Ridge Park, South Shore Cultural Center, Tuley Park and Washington Park. Touring to neighborhoods across the City, the free performances of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors will contribute to the activation of parks this summer with programming that attracts families, breaking down barriers to arts participation and encouraging young family members to take part in Chicago’s Summer of Learning program. The initiative represents an innovative public-private coordination to infuse learning into summer programs that young people across the city can attend when school is out of session. Summer programs throughout the Chicago Park District are participating—including Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, which will offer young audience members an opportunity to learn about the art of storytelling in the context of a professional theatrical production. After seeing the play, students will be prompted to reflect on their experience and respond to their favorite elements of the production through take-home questions printed in the program. Completion of the activities will earn each young person a “Bard Badge.”  “Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks furthers the Summer of Learning initiative as it will expose youth in our parks to one of the world’s greatest writers,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Michael P. Kelly. “The program also reinforces our commitment to working with our partners to provide citywide cultural programming in our community parks.” Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Barbara Gaines said, “We’re privileged to build on the inaugural success of Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks and announce the expanded tour for this year’s production of The Comedy of Errors. We thank Mayor Emanuel for his support of the arts throughout our city and we are absolutely thrilled to be touring one of Shakespeare’s funniest plays that I know will tickle audiences of all ages and motivate students to earn a ‘Bard Badge.’” For more information on Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/parks. A complete Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks map and schedule may be downloaded here. For more information about “Night Out in the Parks,” visit www.nightoutintheparks.com. For more information about Chicago’s Summer of Learning and earning badges, please visit www.chicagosummeroflearning.org.