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 Daviaynna H., New Sullivan Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time, Ms. Harrington was cooking dinner in her mansion. Her maid was cooking fried food. Ms. Harrington was in one kitchen. Her maid, Elizabeth, was in the other. They kept running back and forth to get different ingredients. Ms. Harrington was making a cake and Elizabeth was making fried chicken. Ms. Harrington finished her cake first because Elizabeth kept having to let guest in for the party. “Sit here. Sit there. Put this party stuff up.” Elizabeth finished her chicken by putting BBQ on it, and brought out the cake. Ms. Harrington came out in a swim suit and said “Welcome to the Swimming Pool Party.” The guest put on their swimming suits. Everybody kept dancing, having pop, and blasted the music. It was a huge party over 1,000 people came. They ate all the food. Jessica brought 13 kids to the party and Ms. Harrington said, “Put the kids in the playroom! I don’t want to hear them screaming. The kids got taken to the playroom and the party went back to being great. The End
By Bella D., Loyola Park After-School Program Spring Session
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Hi! I’m Betty Gill, I’m six years old and I’m the best dancer in the world! Mom said: she is horrible but I love her. I live in Alaska, and dance in my free time. My goal in life is to be a professional dancer, which I kind of all ready am. If I could be any animal in the world I would be a pretty pink pig. If I ruled the world I would order everyone to wear puffy pink tutus. THE END.
By Omarion B., Morton
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: Shark and the Whale
Setting: Ocean
Shark: Live me alone
Whale: Make me
SHARK: I going to eat you alive
Whale: Not before I eat you!!!
Shark: I said I was going to eat you
THE END.
By Jimmy S., Morton School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
There was a little boy who wants to go to outer space to see the moon but his mom said he could not go outer space so he started to read about going to outer space so he can be a eisternot so as he was done reading about eisternot then when he was old enough to go outer space. THE END.
By Kayode O. & Caleb G., Poe Classical School
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Setting: California
Characters: Butt Aliens, Ninja, Coyote, Ninja Nomicon
Ninja: Hey it’s time to train buddy.
Coyote: Oh yeah let’s do this.
Ninja: Oh I forgot it’s something wrong with the city let’s check it out.
Coyote: The Butt Alien invasion is coming invasion let’s prepare.
Ninja: Let’s go ask the ninja nomicon what should we do.
Nija Nomicon: You will be prepared for this fight with the butt aliens.
Coyote: Let’s kick some butt aliens
Ninja: Let’s get out there and show em who’s boss.
Aliens: We are going to destroy you
Ninja & Coyote: No you’re not butt aliens.
Ninja: We just did defeat you.
THEN END.
By Abby O., Avondale-Logandale School
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
Dear, who may be concerned in girls not in school. I believe that girls in every country should go to school. Reason one Girls have the right to have education to become someone when they are adults Reason two it is not fair that in other countries boys can only have education Reason three girls may feel upset and think principals of school don’t like them Reason four girls might start thinking about their future and think they are nothing. In conclusion these are all my reasons why girl should have education. THE END.
By Chauntyra G., Dewey School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One day it was this man named Derrick and he wanted to be a woman. So he went to the doctor and he got surgery because he wanted to get everything a woman had. So after the surgery was over he went shopping for dresses, shirts, half shirts and heels and sandals. So when he got home he changed his name to Deasia and he put on a skirt and half shirt and put on sandals. When he went outside and went to the wig store and got him some curly wigs and some earrings then he went to go get him some purses. Then he went on his phone and texting boy and then they met and got married and adopted two kids and lived happily ever after. THE END.
By Ameena W., Super 7 Program at Cather Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One Night Elsa and Anna ran to Elsa’s ice palace because zombies were chasing them. Anna was running too fast and fell and she got bit. So Elsa got so mad she froze everything and when she froze everything she froze Anna too because she had an idea. And when she froze Anna then she hugged her. Then she was unfreezing. Then everything got back to normal again. Then everyone celebrating at Arendella. But the Zombies never unfreezed or did they? THE END.
By Frank G., Columbia Explorers Academy
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One reason is that, if a burglar gets in, the crocodile will scare away the burglar.
Second reason because they will keep you safe and company.
Third reason because if you’re planting a garden crocodile would scare away the birds.
In conclusion I believe that crocodiles should domestic animals. THE END.
By Tanaia L., Lorca Elementary School
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
SETTING: Sacrise, Prak, House
Characters: Justin Beiber, Miley Cyrus, Michale Jackson, Janitor, Clown, Bloody Mary
Justin Beiber: (taking a picture of a clown) Oh look at that funny clown! (He takes the clown to the boys bathroom then they move to the girls bathroom)
Miley Cyrus: (walking in bathroom) Oh my god. You are boys not girls. (Calls the janitor)
Janitor (Hits them with mop, kicks them out)
Michael Jackson: (Mad): Oh I thought this was the girls bathroom. That girl tricked me! (Walks to boy’s room)
Michael: (looks in mirror, turns off lights) BLOODY MARY! BLOODY MARY! BLOODY MARY! (Bloody Mary comes out of mirror)
Bloody Mary: I’m gonna get you! (scratches off Michael’s face) (MJ comes out bathroom)
Janitor, Clown, Miley, Beiber: What happened to you?!?
MJ: Well, I’m going to make a short story into a long story. (Scared) It feel 100% scary. Well went in the boys bathroom, turned off all the lights, cause I had my flashlight I turned it on. But I didn’t have it. It thought it would be fun to say Bloody Mary 23 times. So I said Bloody Mary three times and I started to hear creepy noises so I kept turning around the lights kept goin on and off and I kept seeing these people every time I turned around then Bloody Mary came out and said I"m going to get you! But then Bloody Mary got me and that was my story!
All: Wow! I always wanted to try it but I don’t want to now what happened to you? No! THE END.
