Barrel Of Monkeys Hosts The Fancy Schmancy Benefit: A Magical Place 10/22

Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based non-profit arts education company, has announced their annual fall fundraiser, The Fancy Schmancy Benefit, to be held Friday, October 22 at the Ravenswood Event Center. Proceeds from this event support Barrel of Monkeys programming in the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park District.

Barrel of Monkeys has taught creative writing and drama to upwards of 8,000 Chicago elementary school students since 1997. Their accomplished theater artists have adapted more than 3,500 children's stories into sketches and songs for the stage and performed those stories for the student authors and the general public as a celebration of the creativity of Chicago kids, the majority of whom have extremely limited access to the arts.

This year's Fancy Schmancy Benefit will feature a performance of some of the company's favorite child-authored stories, as well as cocktails, a dinner buffet, opportunities to participate in creative writing activities, a raffle, and a live and silent auction. The whimsical spirit of Barrel of Monkeys will pervade the event through the theme Magical Place, based upon a hugely-popular story written by Dulce H., a 4th grader from Columbia Explorers Academy.

"It's the only benefit I know of that includes copious amounts of people in boas and specially-made hats," said Executive Director Amanda Farrar. "There is also a rumor that there will be a showing of attendees in wedding dresses. Where else can you find that at a benefit?"

The raffle prize is tickets for 2 to Saturday Night Live plus roundtrip airmiles. Auction prizes include tickets to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, tickets to see the Yankees and other sporting events, vacations to Myrtle Beach and Florida, unique Monkey encounters, fine dining at Mia Franchesca and Oceanique, spa packages, theater tickets galore, and much, much more.

Also at this year's Fancy Schmancy, Barrel of Monkeys will be honoring Chicago theater critic Christopher Piatt, a long time supporter of the company.

"We want to publicly thank Chris for all the work he has done to help Chicago theater," explained Farrar, "and as he has been a particularly avid supporter of Barrel of Monkeys, we think it fitting to acknowledge him at this celebratory event!"

Barrel of Monkeys was recently voted one of the nation's worthiest charities in the Chase Community Giving program, earning them a grant of $20,000. Babble.com, one of the top 3 websites for parents in the US, recognized them as #1 in a nationwide list of the 25 best organizations and charities for children. The Chicago Reader has said, "This group is funnier than anything at Second City, more genuinely creative than anything at Lookingglass, and does more good than all the other nonprofit theaters in town put together."

As a non-profit, Barrel of Monkeys depends on the generosity of its donors to continue providing unique and high-quality programming in the communities that need it the most. The illustrious Fancy Schmancy Benefit traditionally provides more than one-tenth of the company's annual revenue alone.

The 9th Annual Fancy Schmancy Benefit: A Magical Place

Friday, October 22 from 7:00-11:00PM.

Ravenswood Event Center, 4025 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613.

$85 in advance, $100 at the door or $110 for a Fancy Schmancy ticket, which includes various fancy accessories, the highlight of which are custom-made fancy hats.

Tickets may be obtained online at BarrelofMonkeys.org, or by mailing a check to Barrel of Monkeys, 4432 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.

For more information, call 773.506.7140.

Public Performances Every Monday Night - That's Weird, Grandma
"One of the most real, uplifting and engaging theatrical experiences in town," says ChicagoTheater.com. Adored by audiences of all ages, this long-running hit is a high-energy presentation of hilariously bizarre sketches and songs written by kids. After teaching creative writing in the CPS system, Barrel of Monkeys' ensemble of actors, comedians, musicians and playwrights select some of the thousands of stories generated by their students and adapt them for the stage. The result has been an audience favorite-a show that is "safe" for all ages, yet very much appreciated by an adult audience. The Chicago Tribune praises it as "so respectful of how kids think, it sidesteps 'Kids-Say-the-Darndest-Things' syndrome, veering into lunacy, social criticism, even poignancy." That's Weird, Grandma has now produced over 3,500 stories and musical numbers, and the show changes each week as new stories are cycled in based on audience votes. The Chicago Reader says, "If you don't have a good time, there's something wrong with you."

Every Monday night @ 8pm, September 6, 2010 through January 17, 2011.

The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N Ashland Ave (Foster & Ashland), Chicago, IL 60640.

$10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

Tickets can be purchased at 312.409.1954 or BarrelofMonkeys.org.

ABOUT BARREL OF MONKEYS
Barrel of Monkeys is an arts education theater ensemble now in its twelfth year of working with some of the most underserved students in Chicago. Barrel of Monkeys' writing workshops create an alternative learning environment in which children build self-esteem and confidence by sharing their personal voices and celebrating the power of their imaginations. The stories the children write are then adapted for the stage by professional actors, and presented as a smart, funny theatre experience. Kids write it, Barrel of Monkeys performs it, and the world is saved one show at a time. Learn more at BarrelofMonkeys.org.

ABOUT THE RAVENSWOOD EVENT CENTER
The Ravenswood Event Center is the premiere private event destination on Chicago's North Side. Housing three distinct venues with seated dinner capacities ranging from as few as 50 to over 600, the event center's modern loft & industrial vibe is a great backdrop for countless types of social, philanthropic & corporate events. Learn more at RavenswoodEventCenter.com.

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