PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
Tickets are On Sale for CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS 2026 on June 27!
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!
EARLY BIRD Adult Tickets (available through 5/31)—$50
EARLY BIRD Youth Tickets, ages 4 to 15 (available through 5/31)—$35
Adult Regular Tickets —$75
Youth Regular Tickets, ages 4 to 15 —$50
Children 3 years of age and under can attend for FREE
Because PlayMakers’ students rock, they typically go on to do exciting things. Every year, we use our banquet to honor a special alum. This year’s Annual Storyteller of the Year Award goes to Isabella Wilhemy Sanchez. Isabella is a special effects make up designer, and former PlayMakers Laboratory student!!!
Isabella Wilhelmy Sanchez has been in the performing arts ever since she was a student at Play Makers Laboratory. She graduated as a theater major from Lincoln Park High School and has been working in the Chicago Indie film scene working on shorts like The Crossing 2020, Perfectly Sane 2025, Wild Party 2025 and I Only Sleep When The Room Is Pitch Black 2025. Isabella has worked under Chicago based makeup artist Anthony Kosar learning more of the makeup profession and learning skills like laying beards and applying prosthetics to create characters/monsters. Isabella’s passion for story telling was nurtured by the teaching artists at PML and is thrilled to join us at the Celebration of Authors gala to share more of her journey, and to celebrate creatives of all ages in Chicago.
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 29 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 utilizes 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.
Wintrust Bank
Forward Space
The Chicago Community Trust,
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events,
The Crown Family Philanthropies,
The Field Foundation,
The Illinois Arts Council
The Mardi Gras Fund,
The Paul M. Angell Foundation,
The Polk Bros Foundation,
The Siragusa Family Foundation,
And generous Individuals like you!
The National Museum of Mexican Art has a ramp and is accessible to wheelchairs, both manual and electric. PML staff are not able to assist patrons transferring to or from a wheelchair, theatre seat or vehicle. Service animals are permitted. At this time there is not a planned usage of audio descriptions, Open Captioning, or for ASL interpreters to be in attendance. For any additional accessibility information or requests, please email admin@playmakerslab.org.
By Laquan J., Morton School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
The alien (MEEKY is his name) ate the person (name was puppy) in his house and he laughed and then he ate the whole world and then he got in his spaceship and called all his friends. THE END.
By Kearia C., Dvorak School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One Day I was at the Laundromat I was washing then I had a big bag of detergent I have a good smelling clothes I’m dancing on the washer and dryer because the Gain had my clothes smell good I can not stop dancing I love to wash my clothes. do you? THE END.
By Aliyah M., Columbia Explorers Academy
Monica wanted to dance. But her bird did not want her to dance. So her mom Hceca said “Don’t listen to your parrot” and she danced and sold her parrot. And lived happily ever after. THE END.
By Eayani P., Lorca Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One day Alexis mom left for an important work call. Alex had to stay with a babysitter. He didn’t like her. She liked to sit around and break his legos, every time he built it. And she would say make it again. Mom was gone for 2 weeks. He was sad. But one day he called her and told her what happen. Then she came home. And they had a sword fight with pillows. And Alex never had a babysitter again. THE END.
By Dulce H., Prieto School
Spanish
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Un dia mi familia yo fuimos al parque y ovia maches perros! Mi hermana le tenia mucho miedo entonses mi mama digo “no le tengas miedo a los perrito!” Entonces caminamos y miramos un pero mucho grande. Mi hermana y yo le teniamos mucho miedo yo me pase de tras de uni mama y tenia dientes grandes le dige a mi a mi tio “lla bamos a llegar porque me esta dando mucho mredo.” Yo estada tenblando yola queria llegar a la tienda era ropa, y la tienda era hiu y largo mi tia diga “escogas le que quienes!” Entonces mi tio pago me amigos a la casa y me diverti mache. THE END.
One day, I went to the park with my family, and we saw a lot of dogs! My sister was really scared of the dogs and my mom says to her, “don’t
be scared of the dogs.” We kept walking and we saw a really big dog. My sister and I were really scared. I hid behind my mom, it had really big teeth. I asked my uncle, “Are we there yet? Because I’m really scared!” I was shaking and really wanted to get to the clothing store. The store was really long and my uncle said, “Get whatever you want!” Then he paid and friends came home with me and I had a lot of fun! THE END.
By Tahanni W., Dixon Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
There once was a lady named Leola was sad because she had a lot of friends and she couldn’t tell them her secret. They wondered why she didn’t show up at things like the dance or movies. She made things up things like that it was her 19th bday but it wasn’t. Or that she had a family get together both she said was at her house. But when one of her friends, Susie, went over to her house to celebrate. She rang the door bell and on one answered. Susie knew something was going on. One day Susie was spying on Lee and she caught le and her family going out in all black and they walked into a place named the spys. Next day at school Susie asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Le said “tell you what?” Susie pulled her aside and said ” That you are a spy.” Le said ” because I can’t and not supposed to.” Susie was sad because they are suppose to tell each other everything.
THE END.
By Daniel & Angel, Loyola Park After-School Program
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One day a exit sign said to a bunny “Hey Fur ears!”
“Hello exit sign,” said the bunny.
“Bunny, don’t leave.”
“You could get new conditioner, but some tennis balls.”
They talked for a long time but the bunny finally had leave. But, the bunny said, last, “Bie Bie exit sign.” From then on the exit sign talked to birds.
By Ingrid P. & Eviatar H., Skinner North Classical School
Superheroes
Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Dear Hidolya, My favorite holiday is Channukah. (Han-ik-a). We eat latkes, gelt, matzo ball soup, and we get presents. Channukah is mainly about how the Jews burned oil that was supposed to last one day, but it lasted eight!
– Ingrid
—-
Dear Hidolya, The way you the way you celebrate Hannukak is to invite all your family and eat suvgauist (jelly-filled pastries with powdered sugar on top) and latkes (potato/sweet potato pancakes). We light menorahs ( a 8 in 1 candle holder) and we – Eviatar (From Earth, 3rd planet, TU solar system, 11, 4, 15
THE END.
By Maggie S. BLUE GROUP, Loyola Park After-School Program
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Check yourself you got to check yourself
Oh yeah you do Oh yeah you do
Check yourself you got to check yourself
Oh yeah you do Oh yeah you do
Check check check yourself (4x)
WE ARE…
Check yourself you got to check yourself
Oh yeah you do Oh yeah you do
Check yourself you got to check yourself
Oh yeah you do Oh yeah you do
THE END.
By Domi N., Loyola Park After-School Program
Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One day in 1974 a man caught a duck in a bug net. Then he saw a bunch of people with bug nets following him. They all ran after ducks in the park. The man asked them why they were copying him, and they said it was a good idea. That night they ate a duck feast. That is the origin. Now people catch all sorts of creatures in bug nets and built a monuments. To be continued… THE END.