PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
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
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!
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.
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 T.J. M., Morton School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
His name was Austin. He was in a football game. He won all of his games but not this Fourth and one. But then his frined said every idea is a good idea. Then pick the first idea that came to him went with that and the idea to pass the ball then won the game. THE END.
By Brenda S., Lorca Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was an act at school and there was a boy that wanted to be a donut at the act so he was so excited that he always smiled all time so he was so happy at school so he did all his work but then he got embarrassed so he was sweating a lot because he played a donut with sprinkles on and they were taking a lot of pictures and people with cameras so then he got mor nervis because he was performing at the end of the day so then he was worried that he will forgot his lines, maybe he will not smile or everybody will not cheer for him and throw stuff at him so everybody was telling him that everybody will look funny and some will forget their lines but they will not throw stuff at them because they are really good at acting so they were happier. Finally they got on stage at school so he started to think of the stuffs that everybody told him so he got happier and figured out that everything was the opposite and they were all happy so then he liked his donut with sprinkles on and he smiled all the time and it was so fun. THE END.
By Gary M., Morton School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
One cold winter morning Jashae came out. She was running in the snow. She was cold but she was still running. She made it home on time enough to a hot cup of cocoa. She watched some TV and fell asleep. THE END.
By Benito Z., Columbia Explorers Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was a dumb chicen that eat weird and discusting stuff. Then the chicen played in the tolit and drowed in the tolit. THE END.
By Madison B., Poe Classical School
That's Weird, Grandma
One day in Bacontopia there lived a piece of Bacon. He was made out of shrimp and his name was Bacon. Bacon had problems with school. He was living in an apartment without his parents but he was only in kindergarten. Bacon got an F- on his math quiz. He showed his parents when they arrived at his apartment to check on him. They grounded him for life. But he threw a party and when his parents found out he got in trouble. Bacon couldn’t go anywhere for a week and he lived sadly ever after. THE END.
By Lavar E. & Jamont G., Morton School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: Foodmart.
Characters: Gary, Wild Pony, Justin Beaver, Rhianna
Gary: (pick up the cereal) I want this kind, this is the last box.
Wild Pony: (Running in the food mart and zaps him) Got ya. Too bad.
Gary: Oh noooo.
Wild Pony: It’s mine (Ran into Justin Beaver)
Gary: (walks to Wild Pony) Justin Beaver
Gary: Go find a life.
Justin Beaver: But can you be quiet about it.
Justin beaver try to marry Rhianna, Gary smacks Justin Beaver
Rhianna: Rihanna sing her song) work, work, work, work, work.
Justin Beaver: You need to be done, done, done, done. And come over.
THE END.
By Jezabell P., 4th Grade, Paderewski Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was a factory that made babies and one day the boss had to go home for his darther birthday. The boss left one of the worker at the factory. One day the gril came late to work, then sees that nobody was there. The worker name is Angela. Angela was confused then she said “own I remember no work today. Then she headit out for the door then she couldn’t get out then she heard a biggie crash then she heard foot steps then she saw a baby then the baby had a knife and the baby AKA Little b she was shock that the baby was alive the the baby went close and…
To Be Continued…
THE END.
By Maya W., Loyola Park After-School Program
That's Weird, Grandma
Dear Bobby/Me, Hello me. I am writing a letter to myself to remember who I am. For example, I am tall and handsome, nice hair. Maybe not to other people, but people love my eyes that change colors by my mood. Look I’ll make a chart. Happy = Hazel, Excited = Green, Angry = Brown, Sad = Blue. I have light Brown hair. I am nice. OH COME ON JERK! Sorry about that, talkin to the TV. I was watching a show. THE END.
By Kamia S., Super 7 Program at Cather Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
One day I asked my mom can I hold my little brother, I gave KJ a kiss and I forgot to burp and KJ threw up in my mouth and cried. I screamed my mom name April! April! KJ threw up some more it got in my shirt. My mom did not come. I screamed again April again and again. She came she said What do you want. She got him. I made a bracelet. Me an my brother go to the store he hand bought 4 bags of hot chips. THE END.
By Stephanie O., Loyola Park After-School Program
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: The Chief, The Rookie, The Witness, Ms. Gua-pa-ya (in tableaux), Ms. Doofalmor (in tableaux)
Props: Picture Frame, Puppies, Trash Bag
The Chief: I am here with you today because our city’s superhero: Ms. Gua-pa-ya, has saved our town from evil guy: Ms. Doofalmor from stealing all the puppies in Chicago!
The Rookie: BUT HOW WE GONNA PROVE IT?
The Chief: What did they teach you in the academy?
The Rookie: IT’S ALL IN THE EVIDENCE!
The Chief: That’s right. Now, this can take all night if we have to, but we gotta PROVE that Ms. Doofalmor is guilty! What have you got?
The Rookie: I got allergies and half a cup of coffee.
The Chief: (sigh) what have you got for EVIDENCE.
The Rookie: Right. Gotcha. I got this. First of all we got the Who! Ms. Gua-pa-ya and Ms. Doofalmor
The Chief: Good start!
The Rookie: Then we got the What: Ms. Doofalmar wants to steal all the puppies of Chicago
The Chief: Ah yes the motive. Keep going…
The Rookie: And there is out When: March 13 at 3:54 p.m.
The Chief: Alright. And where is the where?
The Rookie: I’ll tell you where the where is! The Where: downtown Chicago
The Chief: Excellent. Excellent. But how?
The Rookie: I KNEW YOU WOULD ASK THAT! The How: Ms. Doofalmor hates all kinds of puppies and she tried to kill all of them.
The Chief: And what did out eye witness see?
The Rookie: Come on out key witness and tell em what you saw!
The Witness: I saw Ms. Doofalmar sneaking behind an adoption center planning to steal all the puppies of Chicago.
The Rookie: Boom!
The Chief: Boom!
The witness: Boom?
The Chief: There’s our case!
The Rookie: Thanks Chief! I couldn’t have done it without my WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and HOW!
The Chief: THE END!
THE END.