PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
Silent Auction! Games! Food + Drinks! Open Bar for adult guests! 360 Photo Booth! And of course, LIVE performances of stories written by our students for the 2024/25 School Year!
Attire: Fancy Schmancy where you can come Fancy – dressed to the nines in your best attire. Or you can come Schmancy – with a silly hat or funny outfit that expresses YOU!
You can bid on our amazing Silent Auction Prizes at the event, or remotely from anywhere! Silent Auction items include: A Trip to Mexico with Vidanta Resorts, A Sailing Excursion, An At-Home Dungeons & Dragons Session, Dining Packages, Sports Tickets, Theatre Tickets, and MORE! Stay tuned for a preview and get those bids ready!
This is the most affordable & most FUN Gala in town!
Tickets include food, drinks, a show, and activities for all ages!
Adult Regular Priced Tickets —$75
Youth Regular Price Tickets, ages 4 to 15 —$50
Children 3 years of age and under can attend for FREE
Plus we will present the Annual Storyteller of the Year Award to author,
and PlayMaker alumni, Mary Winn Heider!
Mary Winn Heider is the author of over 30 books for kids, including THE LOSERS AT THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY, THE UNICORNS WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS, and THE STUPENDOUS SWITCHEROO series, which she co-created with Chad Sell. Mary Winn’s very first novel, THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON, was based on her time working in a real life cadaver lab, and now that it’s a musical. In a School Library Journal column a few years ago, Betsy Bird wrote, “In an era of information overload, Mary Winn Heider is the author who will lead us through the pandemonium into the light.” Mary Winn’s books have been on state lists, appeared on Bank Street Best Books, received Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection status, been long-listed for the Edgar Award, and landed on Indies Introduce and Indie Next lists.But before all of that, Mary Winn was a company member with Playmakers Lab, where she spent a decade pretending to be a chicken, an astronaut, and a princess, and sometimes, all three at once.
Can’t attend our party? We’ll miss you! Consider donating to support arts education in Chicago. Thank you!
This event is a fundraiser to support PML’s outstanding creative writing programming in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. 100% of the tickets proceeds will support PML classes! For 28 years PlayMakers Laboratory has served Chicago Public School students by providing a creative writing residency program aimed primarily at elementary schools. Our company of over 60 teaching artists utilize creative drama and storytelling to promote literacy and self esteem during our in-school residencies and park district programming. Each year, our programs serve more than 4,000 young people across Chicago. In our 6 week writing residencies, a whopping 88% of students improve writing scores by at least one level over the course of our residencies. Plus, 100% of classroom teachers report that our program supports their student’s writing and improves confidence and self-esteem.
The Chicago Community Trust,
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events,
The Crown Family Philanthropies,
The Field Foundation,
The Mardi Gras Fund,
The Paul M. Angell Foundation,
The Polk Bros Foundation,
The Siragusa Family Foundation,
And generous Individuals like you!
By James W., Douglas Park Words@Play Program
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2006
Wilmette 2007
Wow yellow!
Juicy large roll
With pits on each end with
A tangy and sour taste
Wow yellow!
By Julie F., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2007
Once upon a time there was a Captain Cheerleader and a Co-captain Cheerleader and the was 4 girls who were the back up Cheerleaders. The Captains name was Julie the Co-Captain name was Jasmin. The back up girls names were Natalie, Kayla, my cousin Jessica and my best friend Jasmin. We do flip and cartwheels and most of all cheer moves. We go to competitions. Most of the time we win the rest we lose. We have done 10 competitions. We won eight and lost two. We are going to the finals. If we win our team is going to be the best cheerleading squad in the school. The cheerleading group won the finals. They lived happily being the best cheerleading squad in the school.
The End!
By Abbey A., 2nd Grade, South Loop School
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2007
Setting: A shoe the size of a house
Characters: 800 feet tall American Girl Doll / A talking picture
Narrator: Once upon a time there was a talking picture. 1 day he was going to ask a 800 feet tall American Girl Doll a question. So she did.
Talk.: How tall are you?
Ame.: (Nothing)
Talk.: What? I didn’t hear you.
Ame: (Nothing)
Talk.: I asked you a question!
Ame.: (Nothing)
Talk.: ANSWER ME!
Amer.: (Nothing)
By David F., Cleveland School
True Stories
Songs
Podcasts
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2007
I remember when I was third grade I like a girl I kept looking at her then when the barrel of monkeys came in our class room. When people where in group she was in my group I was so nervous I couldn’t even look at her. So then I look at her I wasn’t nervous so I was thinking what have happen then I told her something when I got home I forget what I told her. Then she said want to play at the play ground at the slide she went first she starting running so I just stop sliding and jump over it and I hurt myself.
By Stephaun B., Loyola Park After School Program
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2006
Wilmette 2007
When I was three I was on my top bunk and I fell and my mom came in and said “Are you okay” and I laughed, she picked me up and I bit her.
By Devonte V., Reavis Math and Science Academy
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2006
Wilmette 2007
little cowboy: Dad can I go out an feed my horse.
Dad: NO boy because it is danger out there.
little cowboy: But my horse is out there, he can keep me from the danger.
Dad: That horse is the danger.
Little cowboy: Dad please, I love that horse, how can I show him that if I do not feed him, he will die.
Dad: I said NO okay boy.
Mom: Way did you do that to that boy he is become a little cowboy he can not be one if his horse is dead so let him feet that horse.
Dad: I sad NO and no means NO I said.
Little cowboy: I wish I can live by my self.
Dad: boy you can go feed your horse and you can ride your horse boy because I love you and I am your dad and I will all ways love.
By Nne C., South Loop School
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
Wilmette 2007
One day it was a great day, but until it was a war that start. But a lot of things happen to these people. Some people died some people stayed alive. It was a lot of booming sounds from the way I hear. I was in the boat it was warring. And I was scared and I woke up. I woke up and the war was done. I went upstairs in the outside of the boat. It was a lot dead people around. Some was alive and I was the doctor so I had to take off all those people. I didn’t know what to do but take all the bullets out of them. They came back alive but they was hurt really bad. They was in a lot of pain. It was not good for me and the guys. We won the match and now I was happy that we didn’t have to war anymore. But it was another war. It kept on going. Then we fight and fight until we won. But lost we almost lost, we did win. I went on the boat and I saw the doctor. But the doctor was scared. He was a doctor and he gave up.
By Jessica, Marquette Park Words@Play Program
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2007
Beat, boots, gym shoes
like a loud soft beat
It’s like a lite drumming sound
Beats, boots, gym shoes
like a loud soft beat
It’s like an annoying scrap of a boot.
Gym shoes got a heavy beat
That irritates me.
Beat, boots, gym shoes
I love beats.
By Eddie, Columbia Explorers Academy
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
Wilmette 2007
Ones a day a kid said to me your stupid so I wondered if I really was stupid so then my friend told me that I’m not stupid so he came with me to tell me again that I was stupid so then a bigger kid said him a bad word so I told that kid to stupid and he hit me in my ear and I was bleeding so the kid that called me stupid said thanks for standing up for me so he became my friend and I still have the mark from were he hit me and the tall tall kid had detention for a week and their parent took with me and I told them what happened so his mom told me that he was going to get grounded.
By Claudio F., Loyola Park After School Program
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2006
Wilmette 2007
[Note: this story was written months before the real “Star Wars 3” was released in theaters.]
LuK: It’s snowy today master.
Jar: Don’t worry. If you are patient it will be gone soon.
LuK: We are staying in de castle 3 more days.
Jar: We need food and supplies.
LuK: Then we are going to outer space.
Jar: Then we are getting to meet Turkey.
LuK: And then we are going to turkey city.
Jar: Then we are going to the sea to relax, take all the human souls to give it to another baby when the baby is gunna come. Now that the soul is gone, we’re going to give you tips about Jedis
To be continued
Jar: Now let’s practice
(They do. With sticks)
Jar: Let me give you tips. There’s a lot of Jedi moves. There’s difficult ones. But you are going to discover them alone
To be continued
Jar: Let’s practice in the ballogram. There we will get our sticks.
LuK: Let’s go first to metro city. Let’s get our octopus bus.
Jar: We have trouble. A giant octopus dragon is attacking us. Let’s go into a cave, we will be safe.
LuK: Oh no, the power is out. Let’s get our suits to swim.
They swim to metro city. To be continued.
To make war.
LuK: We win the war! Let’s celebrate!
Princess: I’m the princess. Now for helping us win the war you win the precious ball of justice.
The End