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
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.
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 Joshua I., Harold Washington Elementary
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
In the summer time last year just about before the school year was over there was this girl named Diana [note from the typist: all i’s in ‘Diana’ written with a heart as the dot on the i] that I sorta had a crush on she smelled like fresh fruit or flowers she was like a dream come true so total hot that she could almost hypmatize me to do or give her something. I had the most scariest gang of rough friends ever even the 8th graders were horrified of us we were vicious like a swarm of wild sharks. Diana had the most prettiest friends and all of my friends go out with them but I got beauty and brains. One day something changed completely after we had art and washed our hands Diana walk in and turn off the lights and frenched me WOW tolito! Man she could kiss so could I ♥
By Nia H., Loyola Park After-School Program
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
Arranged by Company Member Jeff Trainor
New Jersey, New Jersey Big Ocean New Jersey, New Jersey Better get some sun tan lotion Never thought I would have this much fun I have the silly potion Waiting to be cast on you, New Jersey Hey Hey Hey better get some sun tan lotion. The End
By Vermani A., Columbia Explorer’s Academy
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: Ant and Chicken Setting: in the bowl
Once upon a time there was an Ant in the bowl and the ant was scared because he was in the bowl and then the Ant heard somebody sleeping.
Ant: Who was sleeping (scared)
Chicken: Me. (excitedly) (comely)
Ant: Oooooh…can you sleep quietly. (seriously)
Chicken: Ok, I’m sorry (seriously)
Ant: Ok…just keep sleeping (seriously)
Chicken: Why
The End.
By Katelyn P., Columbia Explorers Academy
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
D: Mom can I go to my friend’s house (excitedly)
M: no
B: Ha ha ha (on ground)
D: But why I’ll come back. (mad face)
M: Because you didn’t clean your room.
D: But you want me to clean every day. (mean face)
B: I clean my room (evil face)
M: I’m proud of you (happily)
D: Nobody asks you.
M: Watch your adito.
D: But I don’t want to.
B: oh no don’t say that
M: you’re grounded and I was going to let you go but your growned.
D: But Mom
M: no buts
D: please mom
M: NO!!!!!
D: Your so mean (cry face)
M: I feel bad (gilty face)
B: Don’t let her go.
M: Who ask you
B: You sound like my sister goush
M: Oh yeah I should not said that. I’m sorry.
B: That’s OK
D: Mom I’m sorry
M: It’s OK. Sit lets talk.
D: Okay!
B: Can I stay.
M: Get out
B: Okay gesh!
M: I’m sorry to
D: It’s okay
M: You could go to your friends house.
D: Thank you thank you you’re the best mom ever.
The end
By Deshaun D., Learn Campbell Campus
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
My first reason is that we need to stop eating sugar
Another reason is we need to get active
Another reason is we need to get away from technology
Also we could eat the food pyramid
Finally it helps grow our bodies
In conclusion I believe that we should jump off the couch and eat healthy!!!!!!
By Abeer A., Berger Park
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
My heart is the best. It helps me breathe.
I like it very much.
If it stops I won’t breathe. I might die if it stops.
I would always like it if it does not stop.
That is a very bad thing
I like it very much
It is a thing I want to know: how it looks like
It would be a dream come true to see my heart
It would look so cool.
That is going to be my favorite part.
I would want to see my heart
I’ve been trying to see it for my whole life almost
That is why that is said
And I would want to do that very quickly
Because it is my favorite
Now that my heart is a superhero I see it
It is very gooey, it has water in it and dots too.
And but it tastes good
I like it very much
It tastes like strawberry
I love it very much
It saves all kinds of animals and animals only
Which I would like to be my friend always too
My heart is very smart
It pumps blood all through my body
It gives me air too
I love it very much
If I see it high I will give it a high five
Although it is my body, I will talk to it all the time
That is my final and last warning
By Lanesha R., Diamond R., Tierra C., Malissa C., Willa Cather Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time a biker named KeKe was biking too fast. She hit a speed bump and fell. She hurt her leg and a stick went through her chest. She went to the hospital and they hooked her up to a machine that checked her heart. The machine was going faster and faster and she couldn’t breathe. All of the injuries were too much and she died. Keke came back as an evil robot and destroyed the town. The End
By Kyle T. & Angel H., Columbia Explorers Academy
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: Alley
WM: Where are we?
CM: (digging in trash) We are in a dumpster.
WM: (shaking) I am missing an arm.
CM: (yelling) Oh my god you’re missing an arm!
WM: You’re shorter, you’re missing a row.
CM: How do we get out!
WM: Who would throw out a chain saw?
RL: I’ve been here for years.
CM: Who said that?
WM: (looking around) Looks like an old lemon
RL: (weirdly) There’s no way out.
RL: (weirdly) There’s no way out.
WM: But there’s a ladder!
CM: Let’s go already!
RL: Don’t go.
WM: Let’s go dude.
RL: I have candy.
WM: Chocolate man is chocolate.
CM: I’m milk chocolate!
The End
By Edwin G., Lorca
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time a man couldn’t swim because he was not a swimmer and one day he work as a life guard. One time a man was drowning. He was in a beach and went to save the many and finally he swim and he swam to the man to rescue him. The End.
By Roberto P., Avondale-Logandale
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time in 1st grade I was so mad and sad I felt like I was going to blow up. I felt like it was 220 degrees Celsius. I was so mad because my teacher said we are going to have a test in 4 days it was a science test on temperature. So school day was over so I packed my science notes and science book. I studied 3 hours on temperature. I stayed up from 8 to 11 studying and studying. My head hurt. I was waiting for the clock to hit 11 the noise made me crazy click clock click clock click clock click clock. I was sick and tired about that noise. I did the same for the past 4 days until my teacher said test time. I was so tired so sleepy 1 hour later I finished. Everybody finished. We passed it to the teacher. She graded it and what did I get a F. I was mad. I learned that if you’re going to study, do it in the day or you’re going to be sleepy when you take the test and you can’t concentrate. The End.
