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 Michelle A., Johnson School of Excellence
One day ten sister went for a walk in the woods with their very long hair. Their mom said wear your sweater and don’t talk to strangers or they will take advantage of you and what you do. So when you go to the beach be with each other and never talk to each other and don’t take out your diamonds and keep them in your jacket or someone will go in it. But if you go in the water put it in you bathing suit and if you let them get taken then I can’t trust you with another one so keep it with you at all time so keep it with you ok and you will be safe. At 10:00 come home for dinner and if you don’t you all will be on punishment until you move from me so don’t disappoint me and keep you peace together. THE END.
By Shimirra S., Morton School of Excellence
Dear government, I think you should be fair with dance teams because of many reasons. 1 Reason is that when the dance teams compete and one team win, it makes the other team feel very sad. 2nd reason, most dance teams use props and it’s not fair to others. 3rd reason, because most dance teams have their coach dance with them and it is not fair. In conclusion: I think all dance teams should win something for all their hard work. THE END.
By Grant G., 3rd Grade, Skinner North Classical School
Trollolololololololoolololololoolololololoolololololoolololololoolololololoolololololoololoolololololoolo
lolololoolololololoololoolololololoolololololoolololololoololoolololololoolololololoolololololoololoololo
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loloolololololoolololololoolololololoololoolololololoolololololoolololololoololoolololololoolololololoolo
lolololoololoolololololoolololololoolololololoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Problem? Problem? Problem? Problem? Problem? Problem? Problem? Problem? Problem? Problem?
Problem, human? Problem? Problem? Problem?
Prooooooooooooooooooblem? Eeheheheheheh! You mad?
The End.
By Tedy Z., Morton School of Excellence
Once upon a time I was in a different country with my cousin. She ate a lot of candy me and her. When she was going up stairs to her dad’s house she ran as fast as she could and she fell down the stairs and at the bottom hit her chin. Blood everywhere. She had to go to the doctor so me, her mom, and her went to the Doctor and they put stitches on her chin I heard screaming when I was outside the room. I was scared but when she came out I was happy nothing bad happened. The lesson is don’t eat a lot of candy and run up the stairs.
THE END.
By Jasmine H., West Pullman Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Oh my god
I found my sister’s friend.
I’m holding
my girlfriends hand.
“Oh my.”
My friend said, “I can see a dead man’s head.”
I see a blond woman and she is coming.
I can hear
a clowns laughter, and he is fatter.
WE are
at a new years eve party
and we are
Drinking Bacardi.
The countdown is just getting started
and my friend is having a ball.
THE END.
By King-Caleb W., Learn Campbell Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
One night a man went to the museum and saw a dinosaur skeleton. His name was Justin Timberlake. He had an apartment. That’s when the dinosaur came to life and tried to take over the world but Justin Timberlake killed the dinosaur with a bee-bee gun and a sword. THE END.
By Marilyn R. & Andrea V., Graham Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: Street
Justin Beiber- famous teenager
Amber- a fan
J: (walking) Hi I am Justin Beiber
A: (shocked) Ahhhh it’s Justin Beiber
J: (Rund) uh-oh better run
A: (screaming) wait up could I get your autograph.
J: (calm) ok sure who do I sign it to
A: (catching her breath) um to my friend Thanks
THE END.
By Shaunda P., Dewey School of Excellence
Holidays
Halloween
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time me and my cousin was coming to school and we meat a lady named Mrs. McPherson asked me were I live. I said just around the corner and said be save. When I got home I saw a light shining from my closet and before I could touch it, it opened so she said hello she said what to days date I said October 31, 2013. And she said good I’m on time And I said for what to save you and then the Boogy man and killed her And then she came back and she could not die. And we were going to die together so monsters tried to take over Halloween so she saved Halloween and we keeped trick or treating. THE END.
By Jordan P., New Sullivan Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
A Wizard visiting a dentist to day I was in the dentist room and I [saw] something black it was a W…I…Z…A…R…D run for ur life run now it a W…I…Z…A…R…D 72 people are die is a W…I…Z…A…R…D.
My Song:
I I hated wizard wizard wizard come for u for some u u go die it it wizard wizard it wizard 1 2 wizard come for you 3 4 better lock ur door 5 6 wizard come run now go go a wizard bye. Peace.
THE END.
By Devian R., Dewey Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
The day I drive a car is when my dad let me drive is I drive to McDonalds up the street so he told me to step on the gas so I step on the day I step on it to hard then he told me to step on the brakes so I did it so we was at McDonalds he got two big mac for us. I was so scared because it is a car. THE END.
