Celebration of Authors is back in 2026; Stay Tuned for More!
Tickets are NOW ON SALE for our annual Celebration of Authors Gala – June 20, 2025 – a family-friendly FUN–draiser for PlayMakers Laboratory!
Mark your calendars to come out to celebrate the creativity of Chicago’s youth!
Purchase Tickets!
CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS GALA 2025!
HOSTED BY: PLAYMAKERS LABORATORY
FRIDAY, JUNE 20
6:30PM – 10:30PM CDT
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART, 1852 W 19TH ST, CHICAGO, IL 60608
Celebration of Authors is sponsored by WINTRUST BANK
Purchase Tickets!
It’s both our annual gala AND a family-friendly, interactive festival!
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
Purchase Tickets!
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!
Additional Information:
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.
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,
And generous Individuals like you!
By Julian A., South Loop Elementary
True Stories
Poems
Songs
Monkeys Come Alive
My day is always good
I have a fun day
Sometimes I have boring days
And sometimes I have happy days
I have a singing day
I have a big day
I have a flying day
I have a super day
I have a balloon day
I have a cake day
I have a girlfriend day
I have a book day
I have a zoo day
I have a hyper day
I have a power day
I have a mad day
I have a test day
I have a swimming day
I have a TV day
I like Friday because it’s fun
And the last day of the week
I have a karate day
I have a quick day
I have a breakfast day.
By Freddie B., 4th Grade, Chalmers Elementary
Songs
Monkeys Come Alive
Podcasts
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
The car turned upside down and it flipped over to the side that had the suitcase in it. how did it flip over. because it was driving fast and it flipped over and i hope it won’t flip and blow up and people was looking at the car when it flipped over to the other when the people saw it and it had a song with it too. it called is a song that flipped over to the other side
and the people was sad because the car flipped over and they was looking at it and baby was crying and I was sad because the car flipped over and that was a good good very very good and pretty and i like that car and everybody else liked that car too. James liked that car too. Freddie liked that car and Sidney liked that car too and Elijah liked that car too and Jamal liked that car too and Patrick liked that car too Brandi liked that car too and everybody and I liked it too
and when the car flipped over I was not happy and when the car flipped over everybody I mean everybody was sad when the car flipped over
and I talked to people was in the car because they was driving fast too and the car flipped over because they was driving too fast and the people was sad because they was driving too fast and the policeman came and the firefighters came too everybody came too class was happy and I was the only me Freddie and Sidney and James was the only ones sad when the care flipped over when the people was in it too and I was very very very sad and I cried too because the car flipped over to the other side too and I was very unhappy when the car flipped over to the other side too and everyone was very
and a song too
here it go
[music notes]
The end of Freddie’s story.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Aisha M., West Pullman Park Words@Play Program
Poems
Songs
Monkeys Come Alive
Podcasts
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
It’s a white lady
Wearing a pink dress
In a dark room, in the dark
Waiting for God to talk
She’s looking out a window
At New York City
So God can talk to her
She’s get up
So she’s just sitting and sitting
Waiting for God.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Imani G., 4th Grade, South Loop School
Poems
Songs
Monkeys Come Alive
Podcasts
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
I wear a metal mask just in case. Just in case I fall on my face. I just don’t like to taste ground in my face. I may being walking down the street. And trip on my feet. Those memories I don’t wanna keep. So just in case. I wear a mask of metal on my face.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
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!
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.
