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 Carron, Kianna, LaTricia, Antoine, 4th Grade, Henderson School
Podcasts
Julia lived in New York City. She was born in California. She came to New York for College. She stayed with her Grandma Liz. Josh Christopher Drake was her date. She met him in Math class. They were work buddies. And he was her neighbor. On Friday night, she wanted to have makeup, a wonderful dress, she had to get her hair did and she needed to get her some grey high heels, earrings and perfume. She was late because getting all that. When she got there, he looked messy, he had paint on his clothes, gym shoes everywhere the walls was spray painted. Julia felt furious and sad. “Look I did all this for nothing! I thought you was a clean boy.” Josh was embarrassed. She broke up with him. Josh said: “Why you dumping me? Cuz I’m messy? I was working! Hold up…I’m going to clean up.” Three hours later, he came down. He looked handsome. Julia as impressed and happy. They ate a little turkey with a big old plate and big mashed potatoes and a glass of wine called apple bubbly. That’s when they fell in love. They got married. The end.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Stuti S., 6th Grade, Loyola Park After School Program
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
COA 2007
When we first moved to Chicago we had no friends (because our apartment was in a college campus) and we had no pets but we still wanted to stay. One day we went on a walk (my sister and I loved Chicago because there were squirrels and rabbits every where there were none in Africa). While my mom was talking to someone. My sister and I started to feed a squirrel for many weeks she kept following us for food so she was our pet. She was such a family pet that my dad’s pockets and briefcase had nuts, my mom’s purse had nuts my sister’s bag and my bag had nuts. We were able to tell her apart from other squirrels because she had a fracture on her ear, we really loved her and when we had to move we gave her loads of nuts. If we ever go back to where we used to live I don’t think she will remember me but I will always remember Squeaky as my first pet in Chicago.
By Savion H., Cleveland School
Podcasts
Once upon a time there was a lady who wanted to bake a cake. So she got 100 cake mixers and mixed all day. When she was finished, the cake weighed 100,000 tons. She called the cake Cakezilla. But she can’t eat it all so she’s going to get a hundred people to eat it. But there’s one problem, she can’t get it out. She said she’s going to use a big boulder to lift it. When they were done eating they were so thirsty they drunk a giant glass of water.
By Tyberius W., 4th Grade, Chalmers School
True Stories
Songs
Podcasts
My girlfriend and I were very deep in love. Then she broke up with me Then everything changed. Oh did I mention she was my first. She was everything a boy could have. Then my family move away. Then I never seen or heard from her again. We did everything together. We went to the movie together. She was very pretty and she had a wonderful accent. Her name was Shidai.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Flora B., Cleveland Elementary
True Stories
Spanish
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
Yo recuerdo a Mexico como era. Hay conocía nus primos y mi abuelita. Tambien a mi abuelito. Y mi papá fue con nosotros y a todos los conocí bueno. Cuando yo estaba chiquita mi papa me conocío y cuando mi mamá me tuvo me papá me empezo a querer mucho y yo a el mucho como el me quería a mi mamá tambien y a quiero mucho.
English translation:
I remember how Mexico was. I met my cousins and my grandma. Also my grandpa. And my dad came with us and we all got along well. When I was little my dad met me and when my mom had me my father started to love me a lot and I started to love him a lot like he loved me and my mom too and I loved her a lot.
By Omer, Albany Park After School
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
Action
This story is about a Jacket who flies. Eats. Talks and walks. When he Eats he is with open mouth when he fly he flies fast even faster than a bird. When he talks he talk funny. When he walks he does not walk straight and he like to watch tv show like WCW and WWF.
By Tiffany M., Gladstone School
Songs
What Part of Don't Sing...
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
Stuff On My Head 2000
TOTL 2005
Once upon a time the dog who loved water. He said to the people he lived with, I will like some water for dinner. Everyday he will go to the sink and get some water for breakfast. One day he was so thirsty that he could not drink, not more water. Because of that he was so fat that he could not run. Because of that he was so, so fat. The people he live with said I will put you on a diet. Ever since that day he stopped form drinking all that water. The End??
By Dan S., 5th Grade, Spring Valley
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
One day my dad said “Go down the slide.” I said “I’ll barf”. So I went down and barfed. I said Told Ya.
By Janet E., Cleveland Elementary
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
President calls the kids for help to get in the volcano. He need to get a cat inside the volcano. Then the kids came and help the president.
By Tyreece S., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan School
That's Weird, Grandma
The bull was running and he ran too slow and he was trying to catch up to his partners. So the dog ran into the bull. Then the bull went inside the dog’s body and they all called it a “Pit Bull” and lots of people bought them. Tyrese, Nicholas, and Derrick all sold the dogs for 50 dollars and the dogs lived happily ever after.
