PLAYMAKERS LABORATORY'S CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS GALA

Early Bird Tickets ON SALE NOW for our annual Celebration of Authors Gala – June 14, 2024 – a family-friendly FUN–draiser for PlayMakers Laboratory!

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A photo os 3 playmakers and text that reads Celebration of Authors

Come out to celebrate the creativity of Chicago’s youth!

CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS GALA 2024!
HOSTED BY:
PLAYMAKERS LABORATORY

FRIDAY, JUNE 14
6:30PM – 10:30PM CDT

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART
1852 W 19TH ST
CHICAGO, IL 60608

Thank you to our sponsors

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    It’s time for…. our family-friendly FUNdraiser for PlayMakers Laboratory!
    It’s both our annual gala AND a family-friendly, interactive festival!
    Celebrate the creativity of Chicago’s youth!

    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 2023/24 School Year!

Carly Ciarrocchi is an Emmy-nominated performer, writer, musician, and producer. She has spent most of her career in children’s media, hosting TV shows like Sunny Side Up (Sprout), Snug’s House and The Big Fun Crafty Show (Universal Kids), and Weird But True (Disney+). All four shows earned Daytime Emmy nominations. As a producer and writer, she’s worked with Nick Jr, Amazon Kids, PBS Kids, and Sesame Workshop. She’s written music for Sprout/Universal Kids and is a vocalist/songwriter on two Grammy Award-winning children’s albums. Carly hosts multiple kids’ podcasts including Tinkercasts’ Who When Wow: Mystery Edition and Pinna’s Hey Story Go! She also serves as co-creator/producer on the latter. Carly is also a speaker and emcee, working often with the LEGO Foundation and other organizations that advocate for creativity and play. Whether she’s talking to preschoolers or policymakers, her work invites all ages to create, imagine, explore, fail, connect, bounce, wonder, feel and play more - together.

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, An At-Home Dungeons & Dragons Session With a Professional D.M., Dining Packages, Theatre tickets, and MORE! Stay tuned for a preview and get those bids ready!

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Children 3 years of age and under can attend for FREE

Can’t attend our party? We’ll miss you! Consider donating to support arts education in Chicago. Thank you!

Additional Information:
This event is a fundraiser to support PML’s outsanding creative writing programming in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. 100% of the tickets proceeds will support PML classes!

PlayMakers Laboratory is sponsored in part by
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,
The B2B Back to Business Grant,
And generous Individuals like you!

Friends

By Desirae V., Loyola Park After School Program
Songs Monkeys Come Alive Podcasts That's Weird, Grandma Other Venues TOTL 2005

One day I was playing video games. I went to the moon with my friends. My friends came to my grammother house. My favorite color is pink. I like to eat chicken. Moon dance Oh baby? Oh baby I like to eat McDonalds My favorite thing is the color orange I like to exercise I drink root beer I like to watch T.V.

Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!

The Knowheres

By Jannel C., 5th Grade, Harold Washington Elementary
Songs Monkeys Come Alive That's Weird, Grandma

The Knowheres were lived in the middle of knowhere. The Knowhere were a family of 15 teen 5 daughters, 5 sons, 3 grandparents plus the parents. The children were very bad. They screamed and hollard and threw things at each other but then were smart and obediant Elawiese was the first daughter but she always hopes and dreams. So the other kids always laugh at her but did not care. So she decided to go to America and no to surprise she was asked where she live and she said no where. So they bought her a house so she lived happily in America.