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 Kyjuan M, Learn Campbell Academy
One day while Jake and Ben were going to a bus they got stopped by a weird party by the bus they were going to one person in the party asked Ben for some pie and shoved it in his face. Another person in the party asked Jake for some noodles and poured it on his clothes and they both had run in the bus and called 911 but they got kicked out the bus and the cops arrested them without letting them explain.
By Oscar P, New Sullivan
Oscar is inside his house. In his house is one small cat. The cat lived outside, but was in the house. The cat wanted to go to in the basement to go to sleep. Oscar say “Kitty, Kitty” The cat say “Meow”. Then Oscar said: “Get out of my house.” Then Oscar’s Grandpa came and said “Hey that’s my cat.” So Oscar’s Grandpa went into the basement to make piñatas. And cat was getting a haircut. And now he works at a barber shop. THE END
By Javohn B, Dixon Elementary
One day it was the ISAT day I was nervous and the teacher said are you ready I said I guess. Every time I got nervous I turn into a BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG werewolf. My teacher said it happen again when I take the ISAT I started to calm down. But I really think I did good but the next day I got even more nervous then I got BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG werewolf I could not calm down because something happen every body start to get nervous and was a werewolf. My mom said you better not get nervous this time because if you do everybody in the whole world will get nervous and be a werewolf.
By Toby R, Dawes Elementary
My mom said I had to pick nothing or bagels I pickt nothing. I don’t like bagels.
By Lazaireus P, 5th Grade, Morton Elementary
I am Batman and I believe that I shouldn’t save the world every day. One reason why I think I shouldn’t have to save the world every day is because I is saving the world every day and he has a life and it should not just be about saving people because he could probably die just like other humans could. One more reason is because while he is outside trying to save the world who will save his family from danger because it’s not like he could teleport. The end
By Casey R, Dawes Elementary
Once upon a time there lived a snowflake called Snow. She was super lovable. She snowed every day in different places like different countries. She loved snow a lot because she was a snowflake. One day she was in Texas and she met another snowflake and they both died. But she could come alive again so they both had a wonderful time together so they both traveled together every where. The end.
By Tiara H, 5th Grade, Morton Elementary
There once was a boy, girl and another boy all of their names was Kelly Brian and last Mary. Kelly Brian and Mary were all friends. They all went to the same school. But one day Mary and Kelly ran into an evil villain named Stinky Stone. he wanted their marbles but they said no so he said “Since you guys don’t want to give me those marble I”m going to put stinky stone on your feet until you have to give the marbles up!” They went to school with the stinky stones on their feet. The End.
By Javohn B., Dixon
That's Weird, Grandma
One day it was the ISAT day I was nervous and the teacher said are you ready I said I guess. Every time I got nervous I turn into a BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG werewolf. My teacher said it happen again when I take the ISAT I started to calm down. But I really think I did good but the next day I got even more nervous then I got BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG werewolf I could not calm down because something happen every body start to get nervous and was a werewolf. My mom said you better not get nervous this time because if you do everybody in the whole world will get nervous and be a werewolf. THE END
By Kristina, Heaven, Dayanna, & Hannah, Dixon
Dialogues
Characters:
Glitter Queen
Rhinestone Fairy
Crayon Princess
Sticker Queen
Glitter Squad
Glitter Queen: (looking over to RF) Have you seen Crayon Princess destroying Sticker Queen’s garden?
Rhinestone Fairy: Not around!
Sticker Queen: (going out to garden) Who did this?!
Rhinestone: (looking for evidence of crayons) There she is!
Crayon Princess: Were you looking for me?
Rhinestone: Wait! How did she know I was looking for her?
Crayon: Because you just said, Crayon Princess! Where are you, Crayon Princess?
Rhinestone: She must know she’s in trouble!
Glitter: (angry) This is a glittaster! I’m calling the Glitter Squad.
Rhinestone: (to Crayon Princess) Have you seen Glitter Queen? I need her for my art class.
(Glitter Queen waves to Rhinestone “we were just talking”)
Sticker: (walking frantically) Oh my stickers, I know who did it!
(points to Crayon Princess. They all close in.)
Crayon: (seeing Glitter Police) Oh crayons, I should go.
Rhinestone: (suspicious) Why not stay for the art splash?
Glitter: (looking like a hero) Too late, give me your crayons.
(The Glitter Squad drags Crayon Princess away)
Sticker: (bragging) That’s what you get for messing with my stickers!
Rhinestone: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Glitter: (sprinkling glitter everywhere) I’m a glit star!
Crayon: (shaking fist) I’ll color you again!
THE END
By Madnell, Lashont, and Britney, Morton
Songs
A long time ago in 1912, a boy named Zach went into the junkyard. He saw a shining blue ball. It was from the past, future, present. It was weird but he took the ball home. The next day he brought it to his after school program. He always forgot to put a period in his essays. But today the ball bounced out of his backpack and onto his story and left a period at the end of each sentence. The magic blue ball would always help Zach put periods on his paper. Until one day Zach remembered on his own.
The magic ball was so mad because Zach threw the ball out the window and said “I don’t need you anymore.”
A boy named Kevin found the ball and took it home. The ball was still so mad at Zach he turned Kevin into a Zombie and started turning everyone into zombies. But Britney the Sassy came from the future and smashed that ball with a giant hammer. She said, “anybody wanna get smashed?”