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 Mia T., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan Elementary
Podcasts
I kind of think of something. I think of something, what is blue
What you think of? I think of art.
What everybody think of? NOTHING ELSE.
The Submarine came into school then a man came out he said,
“who wants to get in a sub marine?”
And they said “Nobody, because we should learn and or moms don’t want
us in trouble” because the police said that “leave them alone and let
them learn”.
By Sara Y., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan
That's Weird, Grandma
There were a guy named Robert and he wanted to go to the museum. When he was little he was curious to go to the museum. But he never went so he was sad. Because his mom would not let him go. So all those years he did not go to the museum. So when he grow up and finally he went to the museum. He was excited
By Herminio T., 3rd Grade, Gale School
That's Weird, Grandma
There once was a man who lived in jam. Everyday he ate jelly that filled up his belly. He was a happy man. Everyday he will ate jam and bread. The smarts went to his head. The he created a robot it was small a small-bot. he said aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh(this is going to take an hour) hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
By Hernan G., Columbia Explorers Academy
Arguments
Spanish
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe que todos los dias cae nieve.
My first reason is me gusta la nieve.
My second reason is porque puedo jugar con mis primos.
My third (last) reason is nos aventimos nieve.
I believe it should snow every day.
My first reason is I like the snow.
My second reason is because I can play with my cousins
My third (last) reason is we throw snow.
By Kennedy R., Loyola Park After School Program
Superheroes
That's Weird, Grandma
Bubble boy is a super boy that is good and smart. He helps people work on math, science, social studies, and more. And he has an enemy that is stupid and dumb.
By Yassmine W., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan Elementary
Dialogues
Songs
Podcasts
Pants: I’m going out to eat
Under: (he’s sad cause he can’t go) don’t leave me
Pants: do you want to go to swallow food down your pants to
Under: (she thout over) maybe I don’t want to go
Pants: Well I’ll stay to eat with you
Under: That’s so nice don’t miss your day eating by staying home
Pants: I love you bad
By Shunta C., 4th Grade, Kohn
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was these Freakey People living on a inland and this Family went on that inland and they left when they saw the Freakey People but they had left there baby and the Freakey Peoples’ mother got the baby and start raising it and mad it become one of them and when he turn five and they told he to be one of them. and the People never saw there baby again and the baby and the Freakey People live happily ever after. After that day it was a very special holiday call dance day and all of them started to dance. live Happily ever after again.
By Anyssa H., 4th Grade, New Sullivan
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe all expensive things should be dropped down to three dollars!
1.) so that parents can afford it.
2.) when kids break them their parents can replace it.
3.) everyone should be happy with what they have.
By Lucy N. and Hanna P., Loyola Park
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Narrator: It was a normal day so far. 3 friends named Lily, Monkey,
M: What?
N: (her real name’s Emily) and Anna. They were walking to school then suddenly…
M: Look I found a note on the ground. Naah let’s leave it nooooo actually let’s pick it up and look.
A: That’s so cool! There might be something awesome inside of it (excited!)
L: There might be something bad in it.
M: Who care I want to see what’s inside!!
L: okay then you’ll be sorry!!
M,A: No we won’t. (attitude) Let’s open it.
N: The girls opened it very carefully. Monkey read it out loud.
M: It say (what is on the note) Wait what does that say
L: It say Jogococo
A,M: he does not have very good cursive
L: How do you know that a boy wrote it?
AM: Because boys don’t have good handwriting.
L: LOL
L, A,M: Let’s go.
To be continued.
By LaDonna M., West Pullman Park Words@Play Program
Poems
Podcasts
You keep my food cold and crisp all the time
You are good at making cold ice water every time
I can always depend on you to stay on even when I’m not home
I enjoy the fact that you beep when the door is open and is silent when closed
Some people think that you’r a bump on the wall but I think you are
the best of all
You work on low energy and that’s the best of all to save the earth
and that’s not all
You hold my notices and reminders to my mom
You make me work when I always think I am done