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 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.
By Giovanny S, 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
Dear mom, I want my own house. First I wont make a mess and it will be peaceful. Second because I could have my owned room and how many pets I want. And finally I get my own car I want I can have even a party. In conclusion I want not to wake me up at 6:00am. The End.
By Melanie L, 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
—- Dear Parents, I want my own room because when you get me a dog a want to have a big space to play when the dog. I also want a room because it will be cool if I have my own room to play and to play if i have like a dog. It will be cool to if I got the type of dog I want but one thing it super expensive to pay. CONCLUSION Plis parent I want a dog because a bore at the house and I want something to play with and plis parent. The end.
By Humberto V, Avondale-Logandale Elementary
Everything was washing hands. Every day you will wash your hands. Until one day I got home and I saw this bottle and it said no need to wash hands and you could use a little of this and you will get your hands clean. It was crazy someone invented this thing called handitizer. I got shocked no more soap just squirt and rub. One day while I was sleeping I heard a noise. I woke up to see what it was. I saw this green glowing light. I thought it was a UFO so I got my camera to catch the aliens. But it wasn’t aliens it was a UFO filled with bottles of handitazer. No one was around do I went inside the UFO. I saw their plans to destroy planet earth by washing their brains and make them kill themselves. I saw a red button to make me go to anywhere I want. I went to the army. I got a super bomb and went to the UFO. Then I exploded it. But I died and then I woke up. The End.
By Brandon, Layla, Kristen , Joey, Jamia, Carter, Ashley, & Akeem, Tuley Park Summer of Stories
Once upon a time Lise and Jaxx were playing on the swing. Suddenly, a big evil ice dragon named Jon Jon Killa Frost appeared. “I’m taking you to my ice cave that’s minus 500 degrees. That can kill you!”-Jon Jon said. “No you will not!” said Lise and Jaxx and pulled out a giant sword and hammer with fire powers. “Not so fast” Jon Jon said and brought his friends a fire dragon and poison ivy dragon to stop them. Thinking fast, Lise and Jaxx took out a grappling hook and got on a tree. The dragons didn’t know how to fly and were stuck on the ground. Suddenly, Valkin the superhero crashes and says “It’s time to teach you a lesson” and pulls out a magical poison ivy, frost, and fire knife. The hero slays the poison ivy and frost dragon but the fire dragon tries to get away. But Lise and Jaxx team up together to stop the fire dragon. The End.
By Siddesh, 4th Grade, Skinner West Elementary
There were two best friends, Wasaki and Bob. They were aliens that come from a planet called Spuim. Wasaki and Bob create a spaceship that travels faster than light using all the amazing technology of aliens. They decide to go to a random place in the universe.
3.. 2… 1 .. TAKE OFF!!!They end up going so fast that they reach a new planet in 2 seconds. It looks red, dry, and there are no aliens there. They go back into the spaceship and as soon as they quickly turn it on and off, they reach a new planet.
It is white and has lots of big holes on it. Bob wants to go farther, but Wasaki senses aliens on the planet.They look around, and Wasaki senses were half correct .There were people, real human beings! They capture the aliens and bring them to earth. The End
By Evelyn G, Columbia Explorers Academy
Once upon a time there was a really tall big man he was a dad. Him the tall man was called Alex, and the girls name were Emely and Karla. So the girls wanted to tell the tall dad something but they couldn’t because he was so tall. One day the tall man wanted to drive to target but he couldn’t because he was so tall. So then he try to go walking and he went to Target so he could work but he couldn’t because he was the tallest man so when the wall man went to Target to buy something everyone was looking at him because he was tall. So then he ran away from Target because everyone was looking at him so he left and started to cry. So he never eat nothing all the time he was too hungry so he ate. So he was so happy because when he ate all of a sudden he turns as a real dad not that big. The End.
