PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
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
Plus we will present the Annual Storyteller of the Year Award to author,
and PlayMaker alumni, Mary Winn Heider!
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.
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 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.
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 Romare J. , Tuley Park Words @ Play
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
I’m from the fish that
swims in the sea.
I’m from the octopus in
the dark crack.
I’m from the starfish that
sticks on rocks and sand.
I’m from the water the
fish live in.
I’m from the deep blue!
By anonymous girl 11 yrs old, anonymous girl 10 yrs old, anonymous boy 11 yrs old, AG Bell Program
That's Weird, Grandma
1. I am normal Too
Even though I look different, I have friends that don’t have unique stuff (hearing aid and FM system) and I can be funny, too.
2. “Just because I have one ear, it doesn’t mean you can pick on me!!!!!!!”
3. Just because I have a hearing loss, it doesn’t mean….
· I am a nerd
· I have to do what you tell me
· I’m not smart enough
· I’m not normal
By Ileana, Tetta, Carmen, 5th Grade, Avondale
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: 3 good queens, and 2 evil Kings, and 2 men.
Setting: In a castle
1st King: I want to Marry you My queen.
1st Queen: I want to Marry you too. But were too old for this.
1st King: That’s why I have My Men Searching for a Vampire to bite us so we won’t ever die.
2nd King: Yea I’ll be young again (coughing).
1st King: What a minute it’s just Me and My Wife. Not you.
Men: We brought the vampire your majesty.
1st King: Good.
2nd Queen, 3rd Queen: Don’t do it you’ll ruin your life!
1st King: I’ll do what it takes to be young again.
1st Queen: Fine we are over
1st King: fine I’ll give it up
Vampire: If you let me got I won’t bite you
1st King: Men let him go.
By Skye T. and Kemala B., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe that the world will be a girly place.
1. My first reason is I want ponies and cupcakes and they will be pink. The girls will have on pink sparkles dress.
2. My second reason is because the girls will have a party with cupcakes and pink walls and chips. Then we will
3. Have a game and every time me, Kemala, and Jessica will win $100.
By Aaliyah G., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
When I went bowling my first time at the bowling alley it was fun. I was eating cake. I was bowling I was not playing a game. We played a real game. I had 12 points my baby cousin had 4 points. And then we ate popsicles and bowled again and then went home. The End
By Prewante H. , 4th Grade, Dewey
True Stories
One day my cousin was in the room next to me. Her name was Chaquut. She was studying for a test. My
other cousins and me was in the game room. So we was farting with our mouth very loud and she thought
they was real. We had stopped because she said stop that farting. It was still going on every time she
bounce in her bed it happened because we had put an audomatech woopie cushion up under the cover.
Then we start saying Stop that farting. She said That’s y’all doing that. We said That’s you doing that. We
put a woopie cushion under the cover. My grandmom said that’s me farting, so then we all said Stop that
farting! The End.
By Sharae R., 4th Grade, Dewey
Arguments
My name is Sharae.
I believe my family is the greatest family in the world.
My first reason is because my family is very funny because they tell jokes.
My second reason is because we play games together every night when we are in the front room.
My third reason is because we eat dinner with each other every night.
My conclusion is that I believe my family is the greatest family in the world.
By Maria, Cynthia, Alexandria, Christian, Camila, Ingrid, Orchard Place
Once upon a time there was a woman that tells the weather, and sometimes bad news. Then she brings her dog to the forest for a walk, but then it got dark outside. They were so scared! They see a vet. The vet says, “I will drink your dog’s blood!” Then the reporter is very scared and the vet takes her dog. The reporter takes a rock and throws it at the vet who drops the leash of her dog and runs away. The reporter takes her dog. She finds her way home, she writes down what she remembers about the vet and looks him up on the computer. The vet is part of a group of bad vets, who drink animals’ blood. She talks about it on the news and police go to the forest. The vets want to drink the police dog’s blood, but the police win! They capture them and they die.
THE END
By Stephaun B., Loyola Park
Poems
Grannies had a sport call basketball
Most of them were short and most of them were tall.
They didn’t have grandpa’s they have grannies.
One of them was the best his name was Dani.
Dani was a fish he ate corn
They told him he was 26 when he was born.
When Grannies shoot they don’t pass the hoop.
They are just like babies they always poop.
Since Grannies have no teeth they eat hay.
They always east they sleep
When they are playing in the game
When Grannies los they will say “you will pay”
When they sleep they are on the floor.
they break their backs the announcer says, “Lean like a cho lo.”
By Dominique T., Douglas Park Words @ Play
Poems
My body is beautiful
My body is brown
Brown beautiful black hand
Pretty princess me I love
I look in the mirror
At me and say I’m the
One. I’m the one who has
Dreams and feelings. Feelings
That love.