Jen Allman News

 For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory’s original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays! The family-friendly extravaganza returns December 8 – 17, 2023 at the Neo-Futurist Theater,.

For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory's original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays!

PlayMakers Laboratory will celebrate its 25th anniversary of arts education in Chicago schools with 25 Years of Students’ Stories, two public performances featuring stories written by Chicago youth on Monday, December 5 at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm at the Neo-Futurist Theater.

PlayMakers Laboratory will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its popular sketch comedy revue That's Weird, Grandma with a free digital special on Thursday, August 5 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. PML will host an in-person viewing party at The Annoyance Theater, 851 W. Belmont Ave. (proof of vaccine required) in Chicago or guests may stream the show on Facebook Live.

PlayMakers Laboratory will present Stories Under the Sun, a series of free, family-friendly performances presented across the city this summer through the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks initiative.

Window Plays is an honest reflection of living in isolation behind windows, separated from others. Six artists have each written a self-contained 'play' to be performed behind storefront windows all centered around the theme: Presence. This is truly, storefront theatre.

PlayMakers Laboratory celebrates fall with a special line-up of Halloween, election and Thanksgiving-themed performances of its popular online revue That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay, a creative series of stories written by elementary school students, adapted and performed by PML's professional actors.

The Passage Theatre concludes their second season with a virtual staged reading of All-One! The Dr. Bronner's Play.

It was Day 1 of rehearsal for All-One! The Dr. Bronner's Play. In the basement of Ebinezer Lutheran Church, playwright Beth Hyland and the actors at The Passage Theatre discussed possible opening moments for their show: inviting an audience member to have their hands lathered and rinsed, adding soap to a kiddie pool center stage, and finally, starting a chain of sudsy, mutual hand-washing. Little did the actors know that one week later, as hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps disappeared from grocery store shelves, theatres across Chicago would close their doors.

The Passage Theatre (TPT) is pleased to announce its cast and production team for the world premiere of ALL ONE! THE DR. BRONNER'S PLAY, a commission by Beth Hyland, directed by Sammy Zeisel. ALL ONE! THE DR. BRONNER'S PLAY will play April 17th - May 3rd, 2020 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W Foster Ave. Tickets are currently available at https://www.thepassagetheatre.com/ or in person at Ebenezer Lutheran Church 30 minutes prior to performance. The press opening is Friday, April 17th at 7:30 pm.

Grandma is back with holiday classics and new family favorites as PlayMakers Laboratory (formerly Barrel of Monkeys) presents THAT'S WEIRD GRANDMA: Holiday Extravaganza, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, playing December 9 – 21, 2019 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.playmakerslab.org or by calling (773) 506-7140. The press opening is Friday, December 13 at 8 pm.

Grandma is back with holiday classics and new family favorites as PlayMakers Laboratory (formerly Barrel of Monkeys) presents THAT'S WEIRD GRANDMA: Holiday Extravaganza, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, playing December 9 – 21, 2019 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.playmakerslab.org or by calling (773) 506-7140. 

Barrel of Monkeys presents the annual all musical edition of its much-lauded sketch show: THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Stories That Sing and Dance, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, playing Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 pm from May 3 - 25, 2019 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago.

Barrel of Monkeys presents the annual all musical edition of its much-lauded sketch show: THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Stories That Sing and Dance, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, playing Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 pm from May 3 - 25, 2019 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago.

Barrel of Monkeys is pleased to present THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Stories That Groove, the company's annual all-musical revue, directed by Eunice Woods, with music direction by Jon Schneidman, playing Mondays at 8 pm from March 12 - April 9, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140. 

Barrel of Monkeys proudly presents THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Brand New Stories, a line-up of all new stories written by Chicago elementary school students during the 2017-18 school year. Be among the first to experience the newest songs, sketches and dance pieces adapted from stories written by students in Barrel of Monkeys' creative writing workshops. Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Brand New Stories will play Mondays at 8 pm from June 18 - July 16, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140. 

Barrel of Monkeys is pleased to present THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Stories That Groove, the company's annual all-musical revue, directed by Eunice Woods, with music direction by Jon Schneidman, playing Mondays at 8 pm from March 12 - April 9, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140.