Barrel Of Monkeys Moves To Uptown

Barrel of Monkeys’ company members perform THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. Photo by Evan Hanover.

A very worthy -- and entertaining -- organization is moving to Buena Park!

The press release says,

"Barrel of Monkeys, one of Chicago’s leading arts education organizations, is pleased to announce its move this week to Chicago’s Buena Park/Uptown neighborhood. The company’s new administrative offices and rehearsal space will be located at 4021 N. Broadway, 1st Floor. Barrel of Monkeys is relocating from Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood.

The company will continue to perform its long-running, year-round sketch show THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA at its longtime home, the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, as well as touring it throughout the city.

Comments Executive Director Corinne Neal, “We look forward to becoming part of the vibrant Buena Park community. We hope to establish new partnerships with the schools and businesses in the neighborhood, and we’re excited to be in close proximity to so many fellow arts, culture, and social justice organizations, including the Pride Arts Center and Broadway Youth Center.”

About Barrel of Monkeys

Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble now in its 21st season, conducts creative writing workshops with 2nd through 7th grade students in underserved Chicago elementary schools and in its own after-school program. The ensemble of actor-educators then turns their stories and poems into professionally performed theater, presented both in-school and for the general public through its revues. Barrel of Monkeys annually performs more than 300 stories for the students in their schools and 175 stories on the stage for the general public.

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."