Photo Flash: First Look at Barrel of Monkeys' THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Barrel of Monkeys invites you to celebrate the warmth and joy of the holiday season at THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL, featuring a festive array of holiday-themed sketches like Santa and Taco Bell, Nightmare In My Eye, The Shopping Habit, Snowmen From Pluto, Santa's Mean Day and many more - all written by Chicago Public School students and adapted for the stage by Barrel of Monkeys Company Members.

Directed by Company Member Marika Mashburn, THAT'S WEIRD GRANDMA: THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL plays Mondays at 8 pm from December 8, 2014 - January 5, 2015 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Clever and funny - touching and poignant - the weekly collection of short sketches are equally entertaining for both adults and children. The line-up changes each week by audience vote - so no two shows are ever the same. For tickets, reservations and information visit www.barrelofmonkeys.org or call (312) 409-1954. The press performance is Monday, December 15 at 8 pm.

Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble now in its 18th season, conducts creative writing workshops with 3rd through 5th grade students in underserved Chicago Public Schools. The ensemble of actor-educators then turns their stories and words into professionally performed theater, presented both in-school and for the general public through its revues. Barrel of Monkeys annually performs more than 300 student-written stories for the students in their schools and 175 stories on the stage for the general public.

Photos by Maggie Fullilove-Nugent