Barrel of Monkeys Presents Their 20th Anniversary Benefit Fancy Schmancy: Flashback to 1997

Barrel of Monkeys celebrates its 20th anniversary by traveling back to the year it all began for its annual fundraising soiree: Fancy Schmancy: Flashback to 1997 on Saturday, April 1, 2017 at The Drucker Center, 1535 N. Dayton Ave. in Chicago. Don your favorite fashion track suit and Spice Girls platform shoes for an evening of '90s inspired fun including tunes and dancing with DJ Sadie Woods, live entertainment from Barrel of Monkeys' company members, a Mario Kart Tournament, a '90s photo booth, delectable hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. The event also features a silent action with dozens of great gift packages and a raffle for tickets to Hamilton in Chicago and Saturday Night Live in New York. Tickets are currently available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org/fancy with early bird discounts available through March 3, 2017.

Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based arts education nonprofit now in its 20th 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 theatre, presented both in-school and for the general public through its revues.

Since its founding in 1997, Barrel of Monkeys has worked in over 60 Chicago Public Schools, serving more than 50,000 students in underserved schools. In 2004, Barrel of Monkey also implemented a year-round after-school program at Loyola Park Fieldhouse, in partnership with the Chicago Park District. These programs provide a rare opportunity for creative expression and build literacy skills, self-esteem, and confidence in students' ideas and abilities.