PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
Celebration of Authors is back in 2026; Stay Tuned for More!
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 Omar M., 5th Grade, Paderewski
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
I am chair I believe that people should spray airfreshener on their butt befor they sit on me. My first reason is people may smell. My seconde reason is if they dont spray it will leave a stanch on me. My 3rd reason is I don’t want to smell. This is why I believe that people should spray airfreashener.
By Jasmine R., 4th Grade, Cleveland
That's Weird, Grandma
Who ever knew that Chinese food could talk? No one I guess. Its true Chinese food does talk. One time Ms. Wigles ordered Chinese food and when she all most ate the Chinese food it said hey fat ladie can’t you eat some thing else. Ahhhhhh! She screamed for 5 minutes then she said this is crazy I moving out of here! So from that day on food started to talk to her. The end?
By Meyah C., West Pullman Park Words @ Play Program
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
OMG!!
My fingers stop smacking each other and smashing in to each other
I’m trying to write!
Middle n pinky you two have been at it all day
And thumb stop letting them bully you
You all have been getting me in trouble all day
I just might chop you all off
If you all don’t stop talking
What’s that you say, ring finger you’re broke?!?
OOOO…my gosh here comes the pain mommy!!
We have a problem!
I broke my ring finger because I wouldn’t stop talking.
What?!? Well never mind.
LOL I bet you’re done talking NOW!?!
By Jessica M., 4th Grade, Kohn
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
I’m the grandma and I believe that no body should have cats because you can trip over them and break your ankle and you is going to have a cast on it that why no body should have cats.
My 2nd reason is that no body should have cats when you trip over them and break your ankle you going to be in the house into your ankle feel better but if you want to go outside you can’t because you have to stay in the house because you ankle is break.
By Mikquel B., 4th Grade, Chalmers
That's Weird, Grandma
A man named James and his friend Mikquel were playing a play but James did not know his parts so he could not do a movie with a paper in his hand we had no more ideas. So James was about to quit. But I said “do not give up on yourself”. So we said we will practice until he get it right but it took 4 days to get it right. He did.
By Daniel M. , 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
One guy finally got a girlfriend and he was 32 years old and he was going to a restaurant called Red Lobster and he meet his girlfriend and he kept on burping and his girlfriend dump him for burping a lot even his parents kicked him out when he was 31 and he has nothing left in his life he only has his fancy jacket and his gloves and he did not even say excuse me. Then one day he meet someone the same as him and she was burping too. The End
By Simona A., Loyola Park
Holidays
Halloween
That's Weird, Grandma
On a day just like this one I went to the movie. Everything was normal until I saw weird people. there were people wearing costumes but monster following the people the monster are going to scare them away but they weren’t scare because it was Halloween so the monster could not scare it away so the monster went away and didn’t come back again. The End
By Rayanne P. & Gabriella R., Berger Park Words @ Play Program
Poems
How to Make Me
Add 2 tablespoons of shortness.
Chop up baseball and add.
Wash off a quarter pound of sarcasm and add a teaspoon of crazy juice.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of funny.
Rinse off a pack of weird and simmer.
Add green eyes.
Add a quarter ounce of video games.
Boil a pound of guitar and scary movies.
For a stronger flavor, add skinny jeans and a pair of Vans.
Just a spritz of brown hair
And occasionally some Decatur Classical.
That’s how you make me.
Diamond
I am the shine of the diamond
I wish people could admire me more
I am the color of the diamond
I love me
I am the point of the diamond
I can’t point anymore
I am the diamond on the necklace
I look so beautiful
I am the “diamond”
I am so perfect
And I am so beautiful
By Rene M., Fabian L., Israel M., Kobe O., Erik A., 4th Grade, Little Village
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
Dear President Obama,
We believe that all immigration should be legal and people can come to the USA. We think this should be the law because we want our grandparents to come live with us. Also people in Mexico don’t have enough jobs. We think this plan will help create less war. We don’t think terrorists should be allowed to come. People should be able to live where they want because they don’t have a lot of money. If you make immigration legal, Mexicans won’t get arrested as often. Mr. President if you don’t enact this plan we will work to kick you out of office. Thank you for listening to our argument. Sincerely, Class 210
By Michael B., 4th Grade, Dewey
That's Weird, Grandma
1,000,000,000 years ago before god died there was a man name the plant king. He made wheat, corn, veggies, fruits and even grass and more foods. he was not actually americans color he was mixed caucasian mix with african american and he could live more than 200 years he can live 300,000,000,000 years long and god depended on him so know 200 years later he came to earth and acted normal soon his friend seen him grow a plant in his hand his friend told everyone he was a planter with magic. Finally he explain he was alive for millions of yeras and then all his friends depended on him to grow foods and he died in 3 years. All his friend loved him he went to god and they still help human on earth
to be continued