Barrel of Monkeys Presents Annual Benefit Fancy Schmancy – Setting: Ocean

Join Barrel of Monkeys for its annual fundraiser Fancy Schmancy - Setting: Ocean on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at The Drucker Center, 1535 N. Dayton Ave. in Chicago. This year, BOM dives into a setting its students love to write about - the ocean! Come dressed as your favorite sea-dwelling creature or rock a fun beach outfit for an evening of delicious food, an open bar, live performances and dancing. The party also features a silent auction with unique treasures from Chicago and beyond and a raffle for tickets to Hamilton in Chicago and Saturday Night Live in New York City.

Tickets for Fancy Schmancy - Setting: Ocean are currently available at barrelofmonkeys.org/fancy with early bird discounts available through Friday, March 8. Online access to silent auction items, using GiveSmart auction technology, will be available in late March. All proceeds support Barrel of Monkeys' unique brand of arts education programming in Chicago elementary schools.

Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble now in its 22nd season, conducts creative writing workshops with Chicago elementary school students and in its after-school program in partnership with Youth Guidance. 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.