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!!!
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.
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 Ameria, Terrell, Mattea, Tatianna, Palmer Park
In Ancient times near the watering hole:
Kirito and Dino Nuggie were drinking water at the watering hole. The next day, Dino Nuggie woke up on the wrong side of the rock and was hoping Kirito wasn’t trying to have water. Sure enough, Kirito took his place at the watering hole next to Dino Nuggie which was quite the vibe. Dino Nuggie pushes Kirito away from the watering hole, so Kirito summons his man, Bill Bob Joe, to help win the battle. Kirito’s egg shell cracks, and becomes a dragon and eats Dino Nuggie. The watering hole was now available only for Kirito and Bill Bob Joe.nThe End.
By Valerie, Naomi, Miles, Ava, Emilie, Leah, Charlize, Cammy, Max R., Max Z., Andre, Humboldt Park
Once there was a little girl named Ellie. She was seven. She liked the color pink. She was at her house in the basement. It was really creepy because there were skeletons and zombies! There was also a scary monster who ate people and zombies. She drew a picture of an owl because that’s what the monster looked like. She showed the picture to the monster and then flipped it around so no one else would get scared. The lights started to flicker and the monster started to chase her. She screamed! The lights turned off, and when they turned back on, the monster, skeletons and zombies were all gone!} The End.
By Zetta, Pranathi, Joe, Gael, Berger Park
David, the evil toaster was toasting just bread, but he burned him to a crisp, which made just bread ANGRY. So, just break uses his whole body to shove David into the bag of flour. David says no more fighting. Let’s be evil friends. Muahahaha! The End.
By Enani, Tyler, Kali, Aaron, Charlie, Carter, Jordin, Ridge Park
The Little Minion is at the beach drinking lemonade and orange juice. Then he dropped his glass and it broke on the beach. Lion steps on glass and gets really mad. Little minion runs away to a martial arts class to learn how to fight. He meets fire dragon in the city on his way back. A fight breaks out, they go to the hospital, and realize how silly to fight when we could just be friends. And they lived happily ever after. The End.
By Amari, Marayah, Amiyah, Hamilton Park
Heather, Danielle, and Bella are going to a party. They are in high school. They went to meet their friends. Their parents don’t know. They ask, they say no. They decide to sneak out. They have to jump out the 2nd story window. They land, but they forgot the dress. They go back up but the parents catch them. They are grounded and their phones are taken away. The next day they apologize and say that they’ll do all the chores for the next month. They go to another party. The End.
By Machenzie, Anthony, Symone, Nijeer, Faith, Chloe, Nevah, Brownlee, Austin Town Hall Park
One day Ariana Grande was on tour in Alabama. She was going to New York next, while she was there, she met a unicorn named Bella Que Pasa. They decided to go to Target to get fruit, Starbucks, and to look for boyfriends. While in line at Starbucks, a big, stinky, blehhh troll came up and took Ariana’s purse. Bella Que Pasa said “Ahh! Why did you take the purse?” Ariana Grande started singing “thank you, next” and ran after the troll and got her purse back and bought her and Bella Que Pasa Hubba Bubba, material girl pink drinks, and they lived happily ever after. The End.
By Olive, Talia, Vivienne, Indian Boundary Park
One day, Monica was selling their bee themed jewelry at a street fair, but nobody was buying any jewelry because nobody liked bees. They left their stand to go and ask the customer what they would rather buy instead, and everybody said flower themed jewelry. But when they got back to their stand, all their jewelry was stolen! They went around and looked for the thief and asked if anybody had seen a person with a big box of bee themed jewelry. They saw the thief but the thief got into a getaway car and drove away. The vendor called the police, who said that the thief was probably from another town where people liked bees. They gave up on the bee jewelry because nobody liked it anyways. Next year, Monica brought flower jewelry that people wanted to buy, but it got stolen again. The End.
By Tennille, Anthony, Farrah, Jaylah, and Renson, South Shore Cultural Center
Once, there was a mother named Jen, who lived in a Chicago apartment. She had sextuplets, and they were all 13. She was struggling because her kids all wanted to experience things like iPhones products, but she didn’t have a job. She applied for an accountant job because she had her masters degree, and she got the job and she made $100 an hour, but she worked 7am-9pm. But her kids were getting mad because she was staying late and she was almost getting evicted. She talked with her kids to make sure they know why she was working late, and she met someone at the bank who was very rich and they married. Years later, her kids all went to college, she has a huge mansion, and Jen and her husband then had each other for the life they had built together. The End.
By Khloe, Zharri, Jennifer, Zigah, Linnaea, Taraji, Treasure, Douglass Park
Shanaya is a kid at a school park. She really really really wants an iPhone 13. She asked her mom for it but she said no, so she went to the mall. She has no money so she steals her moms money to go to the store. The store people say you’re 11. She hides in the store. When it’s dark, she takes the iPhone 13. The End.
By Penelope, Scarlett, Olevnnea, Delaila, Daman, Benjamin, Protrawski Park
Fire Bomb was human who liked fire. He was a super hero that had fire on him. Fire Bomb lived in the woods, that has flowers, tree, and animals. Fire Bomb was very thirsty, he was eating his lunch of fruit, bacon, hot cheetos and other spicy food. The spicy food gave him powers, but made him thirsty. He couldn’t drink water because it put out his power. But, he could drink apple juice, gatorade, coca cola, sprite, and sunny D. Before going back to the forrest, he went to petco to buy a pet dragon that breathed fire, that he named Dragon Cutie. Fire Bomb and Dragon Cutie went to McDonald’s and got fries and a big mac and lived happily ever after. The End.
