PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
Tickets are On Sale for CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS 2026 on June 27!
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!
EARLY BIRD Adult Tickets (available through 5/31)—$50
EARLY BIRD Youth Tickets, ages 4 to 15 (available through 5/31)—$35
Adult Regular Tickets —$75
Youth Regular Tickets, ages 4 to 15 —$50
Children 3 years of age and under can attend for FREE
Because PlayMakers’ students rock, they typically go on to do exciting things. Every year, we use our banquet to honor a special alum. This year’s Annual Storyteller of the Year Award goes to Isabella Wilhemy Sanchez. Isabella is a special effects make up designer, and former PlayMakers Laboratory student!!!
Isabella Wilhelmy Sanchez has been in the performing arts ever since she was a student at Play Makers Laboratory. She graduated as a theater major from Lincoln Park High School and has been working in the Chicago Indie film scene working on shorts like The Crossing 2020, Perfectly Sane 2025, Wild Party 2025 and I Only Sleep When The Room Is Pitch Black 2025. Isabella has worked under Chicago based makeup artist Anthony Kosar learning more of the makeup profession and learning skills like laying beards and applying prosthetics to create characters/monsters. Isabella’s passion for story telling was nurtured by the teaching artists at PML and is thrilled to join us at the Celebration of Authors gala to share more of her journey, and to celebrate creatives of all ages in Chicago.
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 29 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 utilizes 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.
Wintrust Bank
Forward Space
The Chicago Community Trust,
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events,
The Crown Family Philanthropies,
The Field Foundation,
The Illinois Arts Council
The Mardi Gras Fund,
The Paul M. Angell Foundation,
The Polk Bros Foundation,
The Siragusa Family Foundation,
And generous Individuals like you!
The National Museum of Mexican Art has a ramp and is accessible to wheelchairs, both manual and electric. PML staff are not able to assist patrons transferring to or from a wheelchair, theatre seat or vehicle. Service animals are permitted. At this time there is not a planned usage of audio descriptions, Open Captioning, or for ASL interpreters to be in attendance. For any additional accessibility information or requests, please email admin@playmakerslab.org.
By Drake B., 3rd Grade, Loyola Park After School Program
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
The destroyer wil kill you!!!!! He likes to kill people with only a touch. The destroyer is the best pro staring contest winner. The destroyer was born on a planet named Mafagapagamif. His enemy is pants. He wears paper-mache for glasses.
By Kajuan H., 5th Grade, Henry Suder Elementary
Holidays
Winter Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
The reindeer just didn’t know what to do, but he did it he didn’t know what to do because santa didn’t need him anymore because they were fighting and arguing. So the reindeer was going crazy, he didn’t eat all he did was go out side with a house coat and a silly houseshoes that didn’t really fit him. So he flew back to the north pole asking santa can he work for him. I won’t be crazy anymore. Then why you still have on the house coat. So the reindeer took the house coat off. So santa said all right then they were back friend again.
By Galen Y., Hough Street School
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
Hello my name is Ryan and this morning when I was eating my cereal I turned my back and when I turned back all my cereal was all over the table. As you already know my name is Ryan but what I really need help with is to find out who dumped my cereal all over the table! Do you think you can help? Well than. Lets get to work. Here’s what I know. I woke up this morning very hungry so I went in the kitchen and asked for breakfast My dad said how about cheerios I pointed (that means O.K.) as my dad poured the milk he said mm good eats, My sister Riley asked me for a tiny bite, and my brother Chase well he can’t talk so I guess he can’t be the bandit. My mom loves cheerios. Maybe it was her? But I can’t say it was first, need all the information!
By James, 5th Grade, Harold Washington Elementary
Holidays
Thanksgiving
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was a family who’s having Thanksgiving. The boy’s name is John, his mother’s name is Jenny, and his aunties and his uncle’s names are Jack and Dorthy. Before they ate John made a Thanksgiving toast. Everybody says are you sure about this. He says yes I am. Jack the uncle said, this is a wonderful thing to do. Dorthy his auntie is waiting for the food, but she doesn’t want to toast. He toast anyway. This is what he said I love all of you and I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
By Del S., Loyola Park After School Program
True Stories
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
When I was six may mom got me two tadpoles. One of them died I was very sad a lat of weeks later the other one died. Then my mom got me two more tadpoles and they died. Then she got me one more. But one day it flipped and laded on a sharp thing and it was bleeding. The next day it was dead I was very very very very very very very very very very very very sad. The End.
By Malik F., 3rd Grade, Reavis Academy
Dialogues
Podcasts
That's Weird, Grandma
TA: Thank you for your help getting us out of the mountain!
NT: I used our sword to get us out of the mountain.
TA: Let’s go home! And eat some carrots, because they are good for your eyes. Also sausages.
NT: Yes! I like carrots and sausages as well.
(they eat)
TA: Mmmmm! That was good!
(they go to bed, because it’s nighttime)
NT & TA: Let’s watch TV!
(They watch Ninja Turtle cartoons and That’s So Raven)
TA: let’s cut the lights off and go to sleep.
(They wake up and go to play in the snow)
NT: This is fun!
TA: This is cold!
NT: Let’s go inside to warm up by the chimney.
TA: That’s a good idea, but I still want to play outside with my toys.
The end.
By Nicholas, 5th Grade, Cleveland School
Poems
Podcasts
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2007
I am poop.
I see a toliet.
I fear of going down the toliet.
I hope I do not go down the toliet.
I am poop.
I am brown.
I think I will go down the toliet.
I cry for going down the toliet.
I touch water.
I am big and some time I am little,
I am one of the smelliest things in the world.
I try not to go down the toliet.
I pretend to be a log.
I say I am a log.
I am lonely.
By Jennifer C., 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a soft stuntman he was not like any other stuntmen he was soft hearted and all the other stuntmen where cold hearted and were very very mean and he was very very very nice. The end
By D'Angelo P. and Saquan R., 4th Grade, Chalmers Elementary
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2008
Smarty Pants: Why are you always picking on me?
Saquan: Because you always wear the same pants and they be over your stomach.
Smarty Pants: These are my favorite jeans and besides I don’t have no other jeans.
Saquan: Well, just tell your mom to buy you clean and better jeans. And I am going to head home
Smarty Pants: OK Let’s go home and buy some fresher pants.
Saquan: and make sure they do not be over your stomach.
By Bria T., South Loop School
That's Weird, Grandma
This picture reminds me of my granny going shopping for hats Trying on all kinds of hat and talking all day will she ever go clothes shopping she was waste all her time and do not get a hat or her best friend. Why dose she like the hat. I think they all are crazy. She will learn to stop getting hat. This is an old people thing you do not know what I have to do.