Barrel Of Monkeys' THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA Tackles Ghosts, Ghouls And Talking Potatoes

Just in time for Halloween, Barrel of Monkeys is pleased to present the newest revue of its much lauded sketch show: THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Ghosts, Ghouls and Talking Potatoes, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd. The Halloween edition plays Sundays at 3 pm from October 7 - November 4, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140. The press opening is Sunday October 14 at 3 pm.

Gather ye 'round for a line-up of scary (and silly) stories featuring creepy twins that appear in photos, talking potatoes getting lost in the woods, Malcolm X fighting zombies and other spooky scenarios imagined by Chicago elementary school students.

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 teaching artists guide 3rd through 5th graders through a six-week curriculum that uses theater to bring out the storyteller in every child. Afterward, 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.

The stories in THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people. Rotating themes highlight the diversity of stories BOM students concoct, from hilarious dialogues between unlikely characters to poignant pleas for social change. Every week brings a new line-up of stories, and BOM invites audiences to vote on their favorites at each performance.

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.

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.

PHOTO CREDIT: Barrel of Monkeys company members perform THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

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