By: Carmen Lopez

More than just another production company tucked away in the heart of Ravenswood, Barrel of Monkeys strives to give children a voice. Through their six week residence program in Chicago Public Schools, Barrel of Monkeys strives to strengthen children’s confidence.

“The fact that it’s performed in English and in Spanish with the intention of including everyone makes it different,” said Brennan about the difference between “That’s Weird, Abuelita” and other productions.

“Most importantly, we want them to gain confidence in putting the pencil to the page,” said Molly Brennan, the company artistic director and the co-director of their newest production “That’s Weird, Abuelita.” “Children are often worried about making a spelling error. They’re worried that people are not going to like their story,” Brennan said.

“That’s Weird, Abuelita” is a production that takes the stories children write in the classroom through the program and brings them to life. “We will bring people who work in this field to lend their skills to a population that is underserved with the intention of making the playing field even,” she adds.

“I feel privileged to be invited into communities that I might not otherwise not be invited into and seeing the resilience and how strong kids can be,” said Brennan fighting unshed tears as she explained how Barrel of Monkeys has impacted her life. Brennan compared “That’s Weird, Abuelita” to the wide audience that Disney’s Shrek attracts. “We are hoping that it is inclusive enough for the entire population of the neighborhood,” Brennan said.

“That’s Weird, Abuelita” will be running every Wednesday at 3pm and every Saturday at 3pm and at 7pm until August 18. The production will be at Hairpin Arts Center located on 2800 N. Milwaukee. Brennan mentioned that viewers can expect “A very fun and touching performance that features great stories written by amazing authors and performed by extraordinary adults.”