Tickets are On Sale for CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS 2026 on June 27!
CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS 2026!
SATURDAY, JUNE 27 from 12:30PM – 3:30PM CDT
At The NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART
Sponsored by WINTRUST BANK & FORWARD SPACE
It’s both our annual gala AND a family-friendly, interactive festival!
Buy Tickets Now!
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 2025/26 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!
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.
Buy Tickets Now!
Can’t attend our party? We’ll miss you! Consider donating to support arts education in Chicago. Thank you!
Additional Information:
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.
Celebration of Authors is sponsored in part by
Wintrust Bank
Forward Space
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 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 Del Sato and Nia Torry, Loyola Park After School Program
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: Library in Fishhead land
Characters: Granny, Person named George Fishhead III the heir to the mayor of Fish-heads land and the 2nd son of Finger Fishhead the 3 mayor of nothing.
G: Hi
GF: Hello
G: Where could you find picture book?
GF: Aisle 72.
G: First can you please get me a water?
GF: Ok sure, here.
G: Now can you rub my feet and give me a massage.
GF: Do you know who I am, I’m the heir to the mayor of fishhead land.
G: Why are you a jerk that won’t give me a massage you work here don’t you?
GF: No I don’t goodbye.
G: but wait I still want my massage you crazy man. I pay 30 bucks.
GF: In advance?
G: Why yes, and a free coupon to McDonalds.
GF: Sure.
G: Thank you that was great here is your thirty bucks and your coupon.
By Tashay M., Damira R., Johnay J. and James W., Douglas Park Words @ Play Program
Poems
Our world is big because its made of grownups and kids.
Earth is big because its made of people and animals.
A mall is vast because you can get lost in it.
A hotel is big because it has a lot of running spaces.
A building is big because its made up of many houses.
New York and Chicago are because there’s a lot of things to explore.
Your imagination is big because you can think of many great ideas
And because you have a lot of ideas.
Your brain is big and helps you think of many things.
The end of our BIG POEM!
By Jaton H., 4th Grade, Dixon
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there lived a teenage girl that haves powers her name is Silver we call her Sil for short and even thow she has powers she is still a teenage girl but with the blink of an eye she will go ZAP. Everyone likes her except these the three girls. They call themselves the triplids they also wher evil expetaly Nore she was the evilest of all. Her evil sisters would follow her in her evil scems to mak Sil lose her repution. A week later she met a guy named Jake. She also has a friend name Blaze she was smart and pretty she also had flyin powers like Sil but she’s stel a normal teenage girl they met when they wher in first grade. Her name for shor it Blay it’s a cool name to her and Sil made short names for everybody like Keny his short name is Ken but the best name we like Alley Al for short.
By Ryan J., 4th Grade, Dixon
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
One day Justin was meditating in a big white block he got for his birthday. The block came with 4 clocks. While he was meditating he heard a voice that said “4 clocks connect to one cube.” Justin opened his eyes and stopped meditating. He was curious about what that meant. Justin’s friend Michael knocked on the door. Justin yelled “Who is it.” Michael yelled back and said “It’s Michael.” Justin ran over to answer the door. Justin told Michael about what happened while he meditated. They took Justin’s 4 clocks off the wall. Then stuck each one on a different side of the cube. Michael left and said “Goodbye.” Justin winded the watch on his wrist. Justin leaned on the cube. Then a hole appeared under him he fell but he did not know the hole was a vortex of ticks and tocks and on his way to the twilight zone.
By Justin D., 4th Grade, New Sullivan
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
Spider monkeys fly. They shot out web. One monkey’s name was Bobob. He likes to jump around by one day the spider monkeys got out of the cage and came to the town. They were jumping around a lot. Web was on people. They were running for their life. Bobob was acting cool. He had glasses and had a fancy shirt. He was the cooliest. But they caught him. Bobob said you’ll never catch me alive popo.
By Montell O., 4th Grade, Chalmers
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time my dad went to panda express he ordered orange chicken, fried rice and egg rolls but the order was taking way to long because it was a full house and had so many orders it took three hours to get it and my dad said he would never come back to this panda express.
By Jeremy, Loyola Park After School Program
Dialogues
Podcasts
B: Bounce me nooow!!!
DJ: No! I want to bounce my superball!
B: But I was your favorite ball!
DJ: But you don’t bounce super high!
B: It may bounce higher, but it is macanical!
DJ: So it will get wet if it goes in the water!
B: Yes!
DJ: I’m going to throw this away! You are my favorite basketball!
B: Thank you.
Both: We are friends again!!!!!!
DJ: Now lets play!!!!!!!!!!
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Solomon, Loyola Park After School Program
Dialogues
Podcasts
MK: Joker, I am the real killer.
J: No, man. I’m the real killer.
MK: No you’re not, you’re a side kick.
J: Oh, you just made me mad.
MK: I can prove to you I’m a ferocious killer.
J: Aw, man. Let’s just both be the killer.
The End.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Bridget V., Loyola Park
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was a girl a famous girl. She was only 8 years old!!!!!!!! Her name was Clare. She gets a lot of fan letters. She has a shitzu named Cleo. People tackle over her cause she’s so famous. She has to dress up like somebody else. Or else people will tackle over her. She dresses up in man clothes. That was the only way. She was very embarrassed!
By Michelle H., Columbia Explorers Academy
Dialogues
Holidays
Halloween
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: teenager girl and pumpkin
Teen: Hi. You’re cute.
Pumpkin: What’s your name?
Teen: You’re going to be cute. I am taking you to my house. (teen takes pumpkin to her teen house)
Teen: You’re going to my house.
Pumpkin: Ok, where do you live?
Teen: Not far. (teen gets to her house and goes to her room)
Teen: La la la la la la love. I am going to put make up on you. O.K.?
Pumpkin: Nooooooooooooo!
Teen: I’m going to put lipstick on you.
Pumpkin: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Teen: You look to cuteee! I love the way you look! (girl kisses pumpkin on the cheek)
Pumpkin: (looks in mirror) Ahhhhhhh!
