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 Darryl M., Dewey School of Excellence
Once upon a time there was those two little girls they freak everyone out But it was just a miss-understanding Then they lived in this hotel they were going door to door freaking everyone out everyone moved out of there apart-ments until a Little Boy moved in he was scared of them they came knocking on there door the Little Boy answered he said “Hi you are twins right? They didn’t reply they stared at him in stead he said “you twins probably freak everyone out” together they say “we do freak everyone out then went to the news station then they worked things out.
By Isaly M, The Academy for Global Citizenship
Habia una ves que estaba en mi casa y mi tio mi mama y mi Papa fueron a un lado. Yo no sadia donde fueron. Vegaron un Poco tarde y luego mi tio tenia un Perrito en sus manos. Yo le dije por que tienes un Perro. Mi mama dijo es de ustedes yo me emosione mucho. Yo to tra taba de cargar no Podia. El estaba bien calmado yo no esta calmado. Yo estaba jugando con el mucho. Yo te dije a mi mama si Puede dormir con migo ella dijo que si. Yo lo enrolle en mi cobija de tinker bell. Logo el se dormio en mi cama con migo. Lugo se fuey yo me dormir. EL FIN!!!!
By Noah G, Loyola Park After School Program
Once upon a time in a village there was a boy that liked a girl but the girl liked him but it was embarrassing if she showed it. But one day he asked her out she said yes and she told him that it was embarrassing they worked it out. The end.
By Alanna and Jonathan, 4th Grade, Dixon Elementary
Characters: Chance and Batman
Setting: Gotham
Chance: Let’s rap.
Batman: No, I want to fight some crime.
(After the argument)
Chance: Ok, we’ll go fight some crime. Then we’ll rap (Sadly)
Batman: thank you, now let’s go fight some crime. (Get’s in Batmobile)
(On their way, the rapper starts rapping)
Batman: Stop it! (Angrily)
Chance: But that’s what I do.
(They finalyy arrive. Batman fights the Joker while the rapper raps in the back.)
(Batman defeats Joker.)
Chance: What I miss?
Batman: Really dude, really.
By Mia J, Kinzie Elementary
This is Merissa, a female figure and this is Dave, a male figure and also Coalen and Freddy. They all have jobs hosting Adult Musical and they were best friends. This is Adult Musical. Hi Dave Hi Freddy What’s going on. Nothing much I’m just lifting weights for Freddy. He is weak. Hey. Well it’s true. “Hi Dave there is good news and there is bad news,” cried Merissa. The good news is my voice changed. That’s great shouted Dave. But listen me me me meeeee it keeps doing that. Well try singing like this you you youuu!! Ok you you youwwww! Well just hu you will never sing again. I’m just kidding but really you will never sing again!! The End.
By Vanessa R, Avondale Logandale,
Once there was a man his name was Mr. Perfect. He thought that every thing he bought was perfect but one day he went to buy candy. He took it without looking. He bought it and decided to eat it at home. He open his mouth and didn’t care what kind of candy it was and HE SWALLOWED IT! That night he heard like if Shakira was singing in his stomach until he went to the doctor and found out it was a small small tv in his stomach and take it out and he didn’t think that every thing he bought was perfect. The End.
By Malcolm E, 4th Grade, Dixon Elementary
I AM A DRUM! AND I DO NOT WANT THE DRUM SECTION TO BANG ON ME! IT FEELS LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE! ITS PAINFUL! DON’T PLAY
WITH ME AT ALL. LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST LET ME WATCH TV! & PLAY VIDEO GAMES! I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT BEING BANGED!
By James Lyles, Morton School of Excellence
One night when I was seven years old I had a nightmare this bunny is was super fast (fewn fewn) It was fast and evil (Ha Ha Ha) Suddenly I look out the window I see a horse carriage (gallup gallup) I was scared as snake getting eaten. I woke up sweaty and stinky I smelled like a skunk. It was dark they were like golden ghost (oooohh) There was an old man ghost crying help me like he was dying. I was extremely scared like I’m gonna get hit by a monster truck boom. Suddenly my muscles were stiff like I was shot down. I put on the lite and suddenly disappear.
By Imani, Morton School of Excellence
There is a deer speaking to the audio and the deer is in a school the security gard have a problem that they got to get the out of there auditorium and the door was unlock and the deer got in the school so the secity got the deer out of the school. The end!!!
By Morgan B, 4th Grade, Peirce School of International Studies
Once a cat named Pickles , and he had a talent for being a DJ for cats. Tomorrow, he had a gig for the most famous cat ever… Grumpy Cat! They said they would give him 1,000 dead mice. He said “Meow” which is yes. The next day… Pickles got his equipment and went in his litter boxcar. Once he played music… his equipment broke! And it was he favorite and only one he had.So he went to Cat’s Music Shop and got a better and a little bigger equipment and decorsated his own way. When he came back the gig was better and they gave him 1,000 dead mice and was the richest DJ ever! THE END!!!
