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 Julius B., Paderewski Elementary
Arguments
I am a Dog
And I believe
And I believe I should be feed.
If you do not feed me I will be Hunger.
If you do not feed me I will eat your leg.
I will pupu on you.
Thank you feed me.
The End
By Bryan B. , Lorca Elementary
Holidays
Halloween
On Halloween, I’m gonna dress up as a zombie and I am gonna become a real zombie and shave their livers, squeeze the jelly from their eyes. Actually it’s quite good on toast and cut their feet, squeeze their blood and drink it. My name is so long. My name is Frankenino Jasonino Zombieogrecutter. And eat their brains too. Yooooooooouuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmyyyyy. The End.
By Maggie, Mira, Branden, Sydney, and Javon, Lincolnwood Elementary School
Dear The Bosses,
We believe… work should let parents drive and pick up kids to schools. Rocket cars could make the drop off fasters. It is safer when parents drop kids off. Parents know where to go. Your parents get worried when they aren’t the ones. We need our parents! The End.
By Kevin R, Avondale-Logandale
CHARACTERS: ZOMBIES, ABE lINCOLN, GEORGE WASHINGTON SETTING: PENTAGON
A: The Pentagon has been invaded by zombies. OH NO!
G: Let’s get armed for battle.
Z: (Screaming, breaking glass, great action!)
A: We have to the roof. For the helicopter. (Worried)
Z: (dark voice) Fetch me their souls!
Z: (dogs barking)
A: I have killed the dogs and more zombies came too, George.
G: We are surrounded.
To be continued.
By Ashanti, Willa Cather Super 7 Girls
Dear Alien Jennifer happy valentines day you have to go people valentine’s cards like hey BFF what is you cooking for valentine’s day and you have to give hearts and valentine chocolate candy for valentine day. The End
By Ashanti C, Dixon Elementary
Once upon a time there was an evil scientist and the scientist name was George he was the worst scientist in the whole world. But the only one to crack time travel in 1732 he was the only one to crack it. But he didn’t say anything at all he just used it for his self. But when he died he left a code to find where he hidden it but no one ever found it. The End.
By Kayla T , Dixon Elementary
One day me and my mom went to Chicken and Waffles. Then my chicken grew legs! They grew people’s sizes, and smacked everyone who was eating chicken. Then they let in Momma Chicken. Then I jumped up, grabbed my fork and did what I was born to do. I use it as a sword. Then I passed out. Then I rised from the grease. And then I went back over to the table and said “We should go to Mcdonald’s” Then I said “Come on peoples, let’s blow this joint.” Then I dared myself to eat my burger with 5 bottles of hot sauce and then my hair and eye lashes turned in to flames and I ran in the bathroom and splashed water on myself and went home. The End.
By Terrance W, Dixon Elementary
I believe people should stop killing spiders. My first reason is that the spiders eat harmful bugs. My second reason is we will have some more crops. My last reason is you can keep people from breaking into your house. In conclusion I believe if people should stop killing spiders the world will have more food, and less break ins if people stop killing spiders. The end.
By Nivea S, Loyola Park After-school Program
...IN THE UNIVERSE OUT OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT PEOPLE WILL EVER HEAR
Hey you, yeah you I’ve got something to tell you!
I saw you over there looking at me, trying to see what you can hear, come here let me tell you something……….yeah
Don’t try to sneak your little ear over here, to try to see what you can hear but its ok cause I finally caught you, don’t try to cry boo hoo cause I finally caught you
By Annika L, Teaching Lab Collaborations After-school Program
Hello I’m Sabrina Star. My job is a spy. I live in a big apartment in New York. I live with my dog, Secret. In my apartment I have 3 bedrooms, 2 kitchens, 3 bathrooms, 2 living rooms, and one secret passage (but I can’t tell you where that is). In my spare time I work on my disguises, cook, and knit. My favorite thing to cook are brownies, cupcakes, and apple pie. Every day I wake up and get changed into one of my disguises. Have breakfast, usually waffles. I have a big sweet tooth. Then I take the secret passage down to my job. 1 story I have from my childhood is I have a big dog who loved animals like bunnys and our neighbor had a bunny and because it was the old days… Well I am very interested in inventing so one of my interesting hobbies is I love to invent things. One of my favorite inventions is because I’m a spy I think it’s my lie detector with a built in candy dispenser. The End