In honor of the eighth anniversary of a little show we like to call “That’s Weird, Grandma”, I’d like to present a few factoids about the show. After the jump, so as not to crowd the page, but I assure you they are worth it!
Many of you received a letter from BOM in the mail recently asking you to make a donation to support our work in under-served Chicago schools. Barrel of Monkeys is well positioned for the current economic climate because of the strong support of people just like you, and we hope you will consider donating now to insure this stability continues for some time to come. If you’ve already sent in a donation, thank you very much! You make our hearts happy.
If you didn’t get a chance to send in your check yet, need more convincing, or aren’t yet on our mailing list, we hope you’ll consider it. If you’re only familiar with our public shows (which are mostly self-supporting), there’s a ton more information about our program here , including some of the results.
Here is a brief heartwarming example of the success of our program. A few weeks ago was the first day of the Chalmers residency. As the teaching artists walked to the classroom, several eighth graders streamed out of their classroom to greet Luke and the other teaching artists. One of them, Shakyra, is the author of “Kung Fu Guys”, which ran in TWG for over a year. Shakyra told Luke that she is getting ready for high school and that thanks to BOM’s influence when she was in fourth grade, she still writes stories, and “poetry now too”.
Like all the schools we serve, Chalmers can’t afford the full cost of our program, so we have to look elsewhere to make up the difference between what the schools can afford and what it actually costs to run a high-quality program year after year. We’re lucky to have some great foundations supporting us; their grants make up about 45% of our annual revenue. Another 25% of it comes from the support of individuals just like you. Yes, you.
We get individual support through donations at the end of “That’s Weird, Grandma”, from our annual Fancy Schmancy Benefit (October 16th, 2009), Monkey-o-kee…and every spring from an annual appeal to you, our family, friends, and fans.
No donation is too small (or too big!), and we could really use the support. A delightful anonymous foundation is matching contributions that meet or exceed last year’s gifts from individuals, and we’d really like to max out the full value of their pledge.
If you prefer to make an in-kind donation, I’ve included some options after the jump, as well as some examples of what your donations can help pay for.
Thanks for being a monkey fan!
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All anyone in Chicago can talk about today is the weather, which is reasonable. It is gorgeous out and I hope you are reading this hours after I’ve posted it, having spent the whole day away from the computer enjoying the sun.
Wait, I’m sorry, this isn’t supposed to be about the weather, but rather about this week’s “That’s Weird, Grandma”.
First, we’re still on Sunday afternoons! We’ve had great houses the first couple weeks, and hope to have even more folks this weekend. Lots of kids at the shows so far, which is great fun. As always, you can buy tickets online.
Second, yesterday, April 23rd, was the EIGHTH anniversary of “That’s Weird, Grandma”. Yep, the show opened April 23rd, 2001. A lot of things were different back then, with the world and with the show. We’ll be posting some fun facts and anecdotes about the show’s run in a couple of days. If you have a particularly exciting bit of trivia or a burning TWG history question, feel free to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) over the weekend and I’ll try to work your comment (or the answer to your question) into the post.
Thirdly, this week’s show features one (though multi-part) new story, a joyful look at what it’s like to be deaf, “Because I am deaf, I can…” Full running order after the jump!
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It’s time for the first TWG Sunday matinee. The same fun you can have on a Monday night, except on a Sunday afternoon. Amazing.
Artistic Director Luke Hatton takes the directing reigns back from Artistic Associate Molly Brennan, who joins the cast for the next 8 weeks. There are a few other cast switcheroos, and as always a delightful mix of stories celebrating the creativity of our students.
Remember, no Monday night shows until June (gasp!).
Full running order after the jump.
Monkey fans, we have some exciting news. We are pleased to announce that this summer for the first time since 2006 we will be returning to Chicago’s Theater on the Lake. Huzzah!
“Fun O’ Clock: A Very Special That’s Weird, Grandma” will run Wednesday - Sunday, July 22 – 26th. The show will be similar to a regular TWG performance but with more elaborate production elements (such as, ahem, a set) and more suited to the larger environs of the TOTL space.
Performing at Theater on the Lake is always a great joy for Barrel of Monkeys, and an opportunity for us to show our work to a new audience of folks who haven’t had the chance to check out the Monday night (or Sunday afternoon, as the case may be) show. It’s also a great opportunity for more established monkey fans to see new interpretations of favorite stories. No promises, but in the past we’ve added video and projections to some stories, along with more elaborate orchestrations and the aforementioned sets.
Tickets go on sale June 9, 2009 at 2 p.m. at the Theater on the Lake box office at Fullerton Avenue and Lake Michigan or via phone at (312) 742-7994. More information about the full Theater on the Lake season is available on the Park District website.
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