PlayMakers Laboratory Extends THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: House Par-Tay Through October 5
The show features a creative line-up of stories written by elementary school students, adapted and performed by PML's professional actors.
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 18, 2020
PlayMakers Laboratory will extend its popular online revue That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay through October 5, 2020, featuring a creative line-up of stories written by elementary school students, adapted and performed by PML's professional actors.
That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay streams Mondays at 8 pm CT via Patreon, with a completely new show released each week. Tickets ($2 - $4 subscriptions) are currently available at playmakerslab.org.
During select Mondays, PML will feature The Best of... That's Weird Grandma, featuring footage from past TWG live shows at the Neo-Futurist Theater and favorite sketches from TWG: House Part-Tay.
That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay includes stories from PML's "Submit Your Story Challenge," which encourages students from across the nation to submit stories from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit playmakerslab.org/education.
Now in its 19th year, That's Weird, Grandma features adaptations of stories written during PlayMakers Laboratory's creative writing residencies in Chicago elementary schools. PML's ensemble of professional actors, comedians and musicians bring the young authors' stories to life as raucous sketches, songs and movement pieces, performing first for students in their schools and then for the public. These stories - from hilarious dialogues between unlikely characters to poignant pleas for social change - resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people. Every week brings a new line-up of stories, and PML invites audiences to vote on their favorites at each performance.
Performance Schedule:
Monday, August 24 - That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay directed By Kaitlyn Andrews
Monday, August 31 - That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay directed By Kaitlyn Andrews
Monday, September 7 - The Best of... That's Weird Grandma
Monday, September 14 - The Best of... That's Weird Grandma
September 21 - That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay directed By Brandon Cloyd
Monday, September 28 That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay directed By Brandon Cloyd
Monday, October 5 That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay directed By Brandon Cloyd
About the Directors
Kaitlyn Andrews has been a member of PlayMakers Laboratory since 2018 and has greatly enjoyed the ride of pivoting to make digital work with the company this year. Before joining PlayMakers Lab, Kaitlyn graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre, after graduating from The Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists for high school where she also majored in Theatre. Outside of PlayMakers Lab, Kaitlyn has predominantly worked with The Neo-Futurists, and in the Chicago circus community. With The Neo-Futurists, Kaitlyn was both a performer and script supervisor for Tangles & Plaques (2017-2019) and later took on the role of Project Manager & Outreach Coordinator when the show evolved into an educational tour (2019). She has also since 2015 assisted in the annual design, production and sales for the merchandise for the Neo's annual Pride Show. Circus wise, Kaitlyn is both a clown and an aerialist most recently seen in The Ruffians Burning Bluebeard (2018). Kaitlyn also teaches circus arts to youth as part of The Actors Gymnasium's offsite education program. Currently, Kaitlyn is working with a cohort of circus artists based in Chicago to develop resources for circus artists of color residing in the midwest. She is excited and optimistic to see what the future holds for performance, and curious about how working digitally at present will inform future practices.
Brandon Cloyd joined PlayMakers Laboratory in 2007 and has been deeply involved in many facets of the company ever since. Prior to joining PML, Brandon graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Business Institutions. Within PML, Brandon has served as an actor, teaching artist, lead teacher, a member of Teacher Corps, as well as directing shows for schools and public performances of That's Weird, Grandma. Before becoming the company's Artistic Director in September 2017, Brandon served as PML After-School Program Coordinator at Loyola Park from 2014-2016 and Program Director from 2016-2017. Outside of PML, he worked as the Associate Director of Camp Echo, where he has spent 13 summers managing campers and staff at a co-ed sleep away camp in Upstate New York. Brandon has worked with other theatre companies including Urban Theatre Company, American Theater Company, Filament Theatre, InGen Productions, ACLE's Teatrino in Italy and Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University. Brandon recently joined the Board of Directors for the League of Chicago Theatres.
About PlayMakers Laboratory
Since PlayMakers Laboratory's inception in 1997 as Barrel of Monkeys, its teaching artists have served more than 60 Chicago Public Schools. Over 15,000 elementary school students have participated in the PlayMakers programs, which aim to build students' writing skills, improve self-esteem, and instill confidence in their ideas and abilities.
PlayMakers Laboratory 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.
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