THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA to Celebrate 25th Birthday at Neo-Futurist Theater

PlayMakers Laboratory (PML) celebrates a major milestone at That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday, marking a quarter century of the company's long-running original sketch comedy show. Directed by Program Director Brandon Cloyd, the family-friendly comedy extravaganza will play five performances only August 23 – September 6, 2026 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday will feature current Company Members with PML emeritus members making cameo appearances throughout the run. The cast includes Company Members Linnaea Groh, Indi Gutierrez Marrero, Macaria Chaparro Martinez, Barry Irving, Lucas Johnson, Yongwoo Park, Lee Peters, Allison Sokolowski, Brad Stevens and Lex Mann Turner, with emeritus cameos by Ashley Bland, Ricky Harris, & Kate Staiger (August 23), Meredith Ibey Milliron & Joseph Schupbach (August 29), Annie Calhoun, Tom Malinowski & Jason Sperling (August 30) and Mary Tilden (September 5).

That's Weird, Grandma features adaptations of stories written during PML's creative writing residencies in Chicago elementary schools. PML'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, along with classic stories adapted by emeritus members – all resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people.

Production team: Daniel Parsons (Stage Manager).

Performance Schedule

• Sunday, August 23 at 2 pm
• Saturday, August 29 at 2 pm
• Sunday, August 30 at 2 pm
• Saturday, September 5 at 2 pm
• Sunday, September 6 at 2 pm

Ticket Prices: Adults: $26.06*; Youth (aged 4–15): $15.76*; Children 3 and under: free. *Ticket prices include a processing fee. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at www.playmakerslab.org.

About the Director

Brandon Cloyd joined PlayMakers Laboratory in 2007 and has been deeply involved in many facets of the company ever since. Prior to joining PML, Brandon graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Business Institutions. Brandon has held many roles in PlayMakers Laboratory before becoming the company's Artistic & Program Director in September 2017. He served with PML 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. Outside of PML, he worked as the Associate Director of Camp Echo, where he has spent 13 summers managing campers and staff at a co-ed sleepaway 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 as a founding director with Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University. Brandon is also a former board member for the League of Chicago Theatres.

About PlayMakers Laboratory

For 29 years, PlayMakers Laboratory has served Chicago Public School students by providing a creative writing residency program aimed primarily at elementary schools. Our company of over 60 teaching artists utilize creative drama and storytelling to promote literacy and self-esteem during our in-school residencies and park district programming. Each year, our programs serve more than 4,000 young people across Chicago. In our six-week writing residencies, a whopping 88% of students improve writing scores by at least one level over the course of our residencies. Plus, 100% of classroom teachers report that our program supports their student's writing and improves confidence and self-esteem.

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