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.
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 Roberto A., 4th Grade, Agassiz Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2007
Once there was a evil washing machine that never washed clothes. It just dirtyed it even more.
By Iztel A, Alejandra A., Brian C., Everardo M., Abel F., and Eduardo M., 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a lady named Mrs. Casas. She loves to eat cereal at her house. One day she was eating healthy frosted flaked when little leprechauns came and started watching her eat. Mrs. Casas said: “Hi, go away please!” The Leprechauns say: “We’re going to give you gold and roses, please let us stay.” Mrs. Casas said: “You can stay for only one week.” So Mrs. Casas goes to work in the Sears Tower and leaves the Leprechauns at her house. The Leprechauns cause a mess and go crazy. They break all the plates and jump in the bath, and spill the orange juice off the table. They drop the roses all over the floor. Mrs. Casas gets home and says: “Oh my gosh! Go home and never come back!” And she never saw the Leprechauns again.
The End.
By Marc L., Reavis Academy
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
One time ago.
In the summer I went to old country buffet. I ate non stop for 8 hours my and my family went out I didn’t feel so good. I felt like puking my stomach was growling. I ran to a garbage. I puked. We went home. I learned my lesson. Never eat for 8 hours non stop. Next time I will know that and I puked in the cab on the way home. I went to sleep. I kept on puking. I kept on trying to go to sleep my mom called my we went to get me some medicine. I stopped puking I went finally went to sleep. The end.
By Charlie F., Cleveland Elementary
Podcasts
That's Weird, Grandma
One day there was four BMX bikers named Victor Steve Kevin Jimmy and they liked to do stunts and enter contest and they were in a competition and Jimmy’s steering wheel broke off and his brake went out and there was a huge jump ahead and he could not stop and he jumped the huge bump but he did not make it the front tire went sideways and when he landed he fly off his bike and broke his leg and the doctor said he could never ride a bike again his friends said we will do a team competition for him and give him the trophy but they came in second place and Jimmy was so happy he got good friends to have. The end.
By Alexus F., 4th Grade, Harold Washington Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: In the mall
Character: Kyra & Fashion Police & unFashion Police
Krya: That Fashion Police was right!
Fashion Police: I’m always right Kyra. Don’t forget I’m here to help fashion.
Kyra: Well, can you help me again. I’m looking for a dress. But the dress I picked out is unfashionable.
unFashionable Police: You can wear that it’s not wrong with that.
Kyra: You really think.
unFashionable Police: “Yeah”. It’s really nice on you. It really do.
Fashion Police: No it don’t. Do not listen to her.
Kyra: Why can’t I listen to her.
Fashion Police: Because she’s trying to make you unFashionable.
By Alexus F., 4th Grade, Harold Washington Elementary
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: In the Mall
Characters: Kyra and Fashion Police
KYRA: Man look at these clothes. Who are they made by. There made by Gucci.
FASHION POLICE: No, no, no. Put them pants down. You shouldn’t wear that.
KYRA: Why not?
FASHION POLICE: Because you’re not suppose to wear that with that Gucci shirt because leather and Gucci don’t go together.
KYRA: Well, what should I wear with the shirt?
FASHION POLICE: Let me think. You can wear corduroy pants or jeans. My work here is done!
By Lucy N., Loyola Park After School Program
Holidays
Winter Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
One day there was a house on ridge elfs lived there and the elfs just bought the house. The next day the elfs lived there one of the elfs went to the bathroom and all of the elf went after him but they all wanted to go to the bathroom in the house. There are 100 elfs waiting for the bathroom. There is one bathroom in the house. All the elf have name their names are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and on and on to 100 and elf number 1 says “We should have 100 bathrooms in this house.” So number 99 went to the neighbor and used their bathroom. Number 10 went to the school and all the elf went to the school except number 99 and 5 but the school was full so all the elf that are not 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 99 had to go home and hope that 5 is done…with the house bathroom so some one came and built 100 more bathrooms so all the elf can go to the bathroom the problem is solved. The end
By Claudio, Loyola Park After School Program
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Wilmette 2008
In the year 208XX the world Ersh have been almost positive of aliens being real. People were doing that.
The aliens were planning something.
Aliens: We’re prepared for The Projects.
Alien Jon: He Bob, Joits Junying Fain. (alien words)
Alien Bob: The scientists made me into a giraffe.
Alien Jon: Want some Jub Jud (alien food), ya’ll?
By Anna C., Lincoln Park Words@Play Program
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
If you ever run into
a piece of barbecued chicken
run away as fast as you can to China.
If you get tired on the way
take a plane. If they give it to
you on the plane, start a food
fight. It will be fun. Just
make sure no one throws it
back at you. Then get off the
airplane and make hotel reservations.
Enjoy China, but remember
barbecued chicken is evil.
By Val B., Lincoln Park Words@Play Program
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
Black will taste like black cherries.
Red will taste like fake blood.
Black will feel like black hair.
Red will feel like blood.
Black will smell like worms.
Red will smell like blood.
Black will sound like crows crying.
Red will sound like someone bleeding.
Black looks like a shadow.
Red looks like a sunset.
Black reminds me of night.
Red reminds me of blood.
A black thing at home is a black PS2.
A red thing at home is a dead fish.