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 Jose J., 5th Grade, Avondale
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
I think we should have Babysitter Robots.
For our children to be save.
You won’t get stressed.
Mothers could do some errands while kids are at school.
Sometimes you don’t know what to do.
Babies could have Fun while being baby sitted.
In conclusion I think we should have Robot babysitters. To help in the house.
I think we should not have Babysitter robots.
They could brake.
The robots might explode.
The battery could die will your doing errands and the Baby might fall from the stairs.
Babysitter robots might go wild.
In conclusion I think there shouldn’t be robot baby sitters.
By Felicity N. & Sharae R., Dewey
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: Lunch Ladies
Setting: At school in the lunch room
LL1: (Slob drop) I think I slobbed in the food.
LL2: Don’t let the kids come down and eat.
LL1: (tries to take some slob out but it was too much) I can’t take it out.
LL2: The kids by the door! The kids by the door!
LL1: (She throw food in the garbage)
The End
By Vanessa H. , Davis Square Words @ Play Program
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
On Monster Avenue, what you’ll find the most
are witches, vampires, zombies and ghosts.
But don’t let one be your host
because they will shred you to mostly bits…
You’ll have to use your wits
to cross Monster Avenue.
By Zechariah V., 5th Grade, Avondale
That's Weird, Grandma
Luis and I went to a party. It was an adult party but we were fifteen. The party wasn’t that fun. A guy came in and started wrecking everything. So we left on a limo. We were tired and bored. Suddenly the car driver stopped! We have some celebrities. Pink was in the limo and the Black Eyed Peas and also Red Hot Chilly Pepper. Pink started singing I am a rock star and I got my rock moves and I don’t want you tonight. Then the Black Eyed Peas started singing. Cause your future Boom boom boom boom boom pow those chickens jagging my style. The Red Hot Chille Peppers. All around the world we can make time. The party was saved. Everybody had a good time.
By Giovanni P. , 3rd Grade, New Field
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
I am a dragon I believe people would not come in my cave or in my forest. Because people broke my treasure. I would eat people if they are in my home. If they broke my treasure they would pay for it. I scare people if they do not pay for it. There was a prince. He wanted to slay me y was in my cave. Then the prince fall in my cave. I laughed at the prince. I was going to eat him for lunch with a sandwich. Mmm I: it was good.
THE END
By Emmanuel W., 3rd Grade, New Field
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a cave. In the cave were all kinds of cats, lions, tigers, pumas, mountain lions, leopards, jaguars, and bird posers, cheetahs. They all were strong. They all took good care of each other. They all ate meat. One day they all went to run. Then they went home. The end.
By Julian S. & Damarcus G., 4th Grade, Dixon
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: Lil Dee, Lit JJ, Micah, Shreana
Setting: Mall
Lil Dee: A lets go get them new Jordans
Lil JJ: No lets go get them girls!
Lil JJ: Look at them girls get them shoes later.
Lil Dee: Come on lets get they numbers.
Lil JJ: lets make a deal if u get 1 girl number I will get the other one, and I will get the jordans.
Lil Dee: Hey yall is so so fine.
Micah: You name is Lil Dee.
Lil Dee: Yes My name is Lil Dee.
Lil JJ: Your name is Shreana.
Shreana: Your Name is Lil JJ.
Lil JJ: Do yall want to to the movies. Don’t forget we want them numbers still.
By Dominic T., 4th Grade, Kohn
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: John and James
Setting: The Future
John: Do you want to go to the Future James?
James: Yes. But I can’t.
John: Yes we can.
James: How!
John: Just get in my dad’s truck and press the horn. I’ll go with you. Ok?
James: Ok whatever. (James is in the truck with John).
John: I don’t got all day, press the horn.
James: Ok, ok whatever you say.
(James presses the horn. Machine noises)
James: Wow! This is awesome.
John: Oh no moms coming home press the horn. Now!
(James presses the horn. Machine noises)
James: ahh bye.
The End
By Stecy M., 4th Grade, Chalmers
That's Weird, Grandma
One day Stecy’s family decided to go to six flags. It was a long road trip 3 day on board. When they got it it started raining (storm) so they said let’s go to the hotel. When they got there the hotel didn’t have any more open rooms. So we had to sleep outside. The next day we went back to six flags, then we got on a roller-coaster. When our side of the roller coaster got to the top we got stuck on the top. Then I decided to jump off so I did and my sister said “Noooo what are you doing??” “I’ll be fine.” I fell and cracked my neck so I couldn’t move it any more. Then there was this game with a bear in it, it looked fake but it was real and it started chasing me it bit the back of my leg it started raining again. I went to the hospital and my family decided to continue the trip. While I was at the hospital I died, but wait, my spirit was alive so I was sort of a ghost. I cursed my family because they didn’t come with me at the hospital so I cursed by letting their car break down.
By Nic R., 4th Grade, Trumbull
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe that there should be free Lego sets from Jan. 1-Nov. 28th because my first reason is hat a lot of Lego set cost like $99.99 for a set that has 408 pieces! My second reason is that Nov. 28th is two days after my birthday 11/26 and I want free Legos on my birthday. My third reason is that my favorite Lego set that I want is the coolest Lego set ever the titanium command rig and I really want it but it cost $99.99 and I don’t have that money. To do this I will write a letter to the founder of the Lego company Kliyd Kirk Johnson and say I want free Lego sets from Jan. 1-Nov. 28th because that day is two days after my birthday 11/26 and I want free Legos for my birthday. In conclusion, I think Lego shold be free from Jan.1 –Nov. 28th.
The Disgrace [Disagreement]
There should no free Legos from Jan. 1- Nov. 28th
There shall be no free Legos at all because I love money!
So no free Legos at all!
