That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back! Review – An Unmitigated Delight

TWG Is Back 1. Photo by Evan Hanover — (left to right) PlayMakers Laboratory Company Members Allison Sokolowski and Jennifer Allman perform the student-written story “Monica’s Special Christmas Eve” in That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back!

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The holidays can be a stressful time for many, but That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back! is the perfect antidote for the winter blues. Back for the first time in two years, this delightful production by PlayMakers Laboratory features a mix of sweetness and comedy that only the minds of children could produce.

(pictured) PlayMakers Laboratory Company Member Elijah Cox (front, center) and the cast of That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back! perform the student-written story “Untitled (Elijah)”

PlayMakers Laboratory teaches creative writing workshops to students in Chicago Public Schools, a worthy cause in and of itself. For an extra level of fun, the stories the children write are then adapted into stage plays that can include acting, music, and movement. Teaching artists then perform these plays first to the students in the schools and then for the public in the form of That’s Weird, Grandma. With the winter holidays in full swing, the current iteration of the sketch show features tales about Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and other holidays in addition to non-holiday fare.

(left to right) The cast of PlayMakers Laboratory’s That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back! perform the student-written story “IRS Dognappers.”

That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back! has a zany, unpredictable vibe as stories veer in directions adults would never imagine. At the same time, the warmth and enthusiasm of the teaching artists performing give the show heart and ground it in the very real and important work these artists are doing. The selection of plays varies from performance to performance, but examples include a sketch in which the IRS demands a man’s life savings in exchange for the return of his dog, only for the man to battle his way, John Wick-style, through the agents to reclaim his canine companion. Another particularly hilarious story is performed verbatim, an enthusiastic ode to the child author’s favorite food, snow crab.

(left to right) PlayMakers Laboratory Company Members Elijah Cox, Nick Crothers, Allison Sokolowski, Yongwoo Park and Noah Appel perform the student-written story “Crab!!!!!!!!! (It’s Snow Crab)” in That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back!

On the more touching side of things, two students explain Hanukkah to an alien, a story which is set to a lovely melody. Another story involves an aspiring pilot coming out to their parents, a tale so lovingly and earnestly told it caused me to tear up. The PlayMakers Laboratory teaching artists are talented and flexible actors, able to handle the differing moods of the various plays with ease and always committing fully to their choices. The result is a hilarious and wholeheartedly pleasant hour of theatre.

(left to right) PlayMakers Laboratory Company Members Allison Zanolli, Lexy Weixl, Noah Appel, Barry Irving and Allison Sokolowski perform the student-written story “Dear Hidoyla” in That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back!

The return of That’s Weird, Grandma should be celebrated by all fans of arts education and wonderful theatre. Go support this great organization and spark joy in your life by attending That’s Weird, Grandma Is Back! this holiday season.