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 William H., 3rd Grade, Reavis Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
I think the floor do not want to be down because it get dirty and people walk on it all day long. How do you like if the floor walk on you all night long so you can not go to sleep and our mom will say go to bed but the floor keep walking on me for this week and all night long.
By Cecilia L., 4th Grade, Lee School
That's Weird, Grandma
I am a zookeeper. I work at the zoo. The best thing about my job is feeding them and pet them. The worst thing about my job is that it smells bad. One day when I was working the dolphins wet me. The other day the penguins throwed the fished at me on the face. The next week had to train the dolphins for the show. In the day of the show I won a trophy!
By Steve S., Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was hunters who lived in a forest. One time they has an argument about who’s gun was cooler, shoots good and how powerful it is. A man named hunter said “the only way to settle this is by having a gun fight to see who’s gun is cooler, shoots good and how powerful it is!” So they had the gun fight but all they were shooting was the trees, flowers, grass and everything that is nature. But then after that ran out of Ammo it doesn’t matter what gun is cooler. But the one person who had a lot of Ammo left was hunter. He said “I have the most Ammo here now if you don’t want me to shoot you guys I suggest you admit my gun is more cooler, shoots good and powerful.” Then the hunters admitted that hunter’s gun was cooler, shoots good, and powerful then he started saying “Yehaw, Yehaw.” He shot three times and shot a hunter on his butt and he said “ow, ow, ow lets just say we never use a gun again.” The end!
By Antoinette R., Reavis Academy
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
I remember when I went to the store with my Grandmother. I bought a pack of Now and Laters. And two packs of gum. I know I had twenty-five cents left. The man give me fifteen cents. “I” need two more nickels. But my Grandmother said lets go. I told her he cheated me out of my money. We was going out and a woman give me a dollar. I said thank you. I didn’t know her. But I still said thank you. That was the right thing to do. I think about it everyday. I talked about it all the way home. If I knew her I would celebrate. I was very sad. I was very Angry. I was a little happy that she give me a dollar. Amen!
By Cristian M., 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time a coach was on a crmshel and died and his spear it made his team win the World seres-and only one player saw him the caoch, said hey Jack. Jack said “your died! The coach said, “I no it’s weard!” Jack won the winning shot to win the game. Jack said, “thank you,” you did it on your own.
By Jorge F., Columbia Explorers Academy
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
I remember when the door was closed and locked we tried and tried to open it and we also tried breaking the door but no way so we had no choices and we also broke the window and I was an expert at breaking doors and stuff I broke the window and got inside and opened the door and that’s how I learned to break in my house.
By Allison L., South Loop School
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
I remember that I was 9 year old. My mom told me and my brother Jeffery go to bed so I was sleep with gum in my mouth. I fall a sleep. The gum fall out of my mouth and went on my pillow. It was in my hair. I went to my mom and say: mom, mom I have gum in my hair. She took me to the Bath room. She took scissors and cut my hair!
By Eugene K., Reavis Academy
Holidays
Thanksgiving
That's Weird, Grandma
Hans, the turkey, ran away this Thanksgiving to become a pirate. They got a boat and went to the middle of the river and they saw a chickens then they throw rocks at them then they throw rocks back then the had a rock fight then the turkey throw a rock and hit a chicken in the head. Then the chicken said yo mama, and hit the turkey in the mouth, then they said we give up you guys are punks man we are a threat to you turkeys.
By Joshiwa A., South Loop School
Holidays
Halloween
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a Haunted House. Nobody went in there until a boy named Joshiwa when in there. Then he saw that it was not a haunted house. It was full of woman instead of ghost and he liked that place. Then he called his mom on the Telephone and said I do not want to go home! Because I made a lot of girlfriends.
By Isra T., Gale School
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
When I was five years old all of my six brothers. And my only sister, my mom, and my dad. Was going to eat chicken, rice, and corn. My sister got some hot sauce and then I said I wanted some. And I got some in my eyes! I screamed on the top of my lungs! My eyes turned red I went to the sink and put water in my eyes. I was feeling better. I sat down and eat my food. And I said I’m never eating hot sauce again! And I was sure!