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!!!
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.
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 Mike, Leah, Andrew, Macashe, Dewey School
Once upon a time there was a cat named Fridgerator. Fridgerator liked food and he opened the door with his tail feather. There was no food. So he climbed onto the cabinet and grabbed a cereal box. There was nothing in it. He picked up the phone to call pizza. He waited fifteen hours, then got on a motorcycle and saw a rat and him over and said, “Ha, ha.” He got to Pizza Hut and there was a bomb. The police came in and said, “Don’t move or the place will blow up.” So he blew out his eyes, jumped out the window, got on his motorcycle, and we have never heard from him again.
By Michael, Taylor, Terrence, Terriana, Darrell, Dewey School
Once upon a time there were two little boys. They were basketball stars. And their dad came to the finals to see them perform. They won the finals! The team went out to celebrate at Red Lobster. They got full. They got dessert and ate again. Then they went home. They ate crab legs. They watched Alvin and the Chipmunks. They tried to go to sleep but their food didn’t digest. They stayed up all night, lying on the couch and couldn’t move. The next day their cousin named Macia was a cheerleader said, “Woah! You got really thick! What’d you eat last night?” Macia took them to the finals and they performed and the crowd started screaming because they won, again! They took medicine and lived heavily ever after.
By Tavon, Eric, Kewan, Dewey School
Once upon a time there were four crazy old ladies named Vanessa, Mo, Elizabeth, and Zingy. They were playing basketball and an old man was rapping. Mo and Zingy were on the same team. Mo was the tallest and she always brought crazy things like dunks to help them win. So she ran over Vanessa and Elizabeth. Zingy took a long shot and they won. Out of the janitor’s room came robots in all types of crazy materials. They built a bathtub and put the ladies in it and went all the way across town to China where there was the same old man rapping. They don’t say anything to him. They grab a stick he was holding and they pushed it in the water to make the tub move across the lake. The man says, “It’s too late to apologize.” The women suffocated and drowned.
By Alijia, Gabriel, Stantasia, Dewey School
Tim and Jojo were walking down the road and asked Alijia, Gabriel, and Sarah if they could pick oranges with us. They started picking oranges out of the tree. Gabriel ran into the tree and all the oranges fell! Everybody freaked out and ran away. The next day, they picked another tree and no one ran into the tree. Tim walked down the road and the dog was so excited, that Tim let go! Everybody said, “OH NO.” The dog (Max) ran over and bit Gabriel on the leg. After a few months Gabriel went to go visit his family with Alijia. His grandpa asked, “What happened to your leg?” “A dog bit my leg!” and his grandpa laughed so hard, he cried.
By Tishara, Taijah, Patrell, Jasmine, Dewey School
It was the big fair and there was a dog named Whisker. He drank lemonade. He waned to buy some lemonade at the fair but the lady didn’t understand him. So his owner, a little girl named Lilly who was four years old, bought the dog five cups of lemonade. The dog got so hyper he messed up the lemonade stand, the popcorn stand, and he jumped on the cotton candy stand and it was cotton candy everywhere. He at it all and didn’t leave any for Lilly. He got more hyper. All the people said he was crazy. They threw a ball in the lake. He turned around and started chasing some kids. The kids run to their house and the dog chasers capture the dog and Lilly started crying. They told her not to give him any more lemonade.
By Felicity, Marcus, Tischa, Pharo, Marquise, Dewey School
Once upon a time there was an elephant named Diego. He was big and had big ears. He let 50 Cent ride on his back to Coconut Island where they saw trees with coconuts. All of a sudden 50 Cent fell off the elephant. He was hurt. His arm was disconnected. He had to go to Ms. Bovier the Doctor. She put a band-aid on, with the help of Ciance. And they lived happily ever after.
By Jai C., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan School
Celebration of Authors
COA 2008
There was no tornados and then when mother nature saw all her grass and trees being cut down by the people who lived in log cabins—who would for their fires, she got mad. She said “don’t cut down any more trees or else I will have a tornado to kill you” The Cabin people did not believe her they “You are kidding” she said “try me” then they cut more trees and she got more angry and angry. She put the hot air on top and the cold air on the bottom and then she started to spin and spin with her arms and they did not believe she was mother nature, but then they started to, but she started to throw the tornado at them and they died because the tornado was so strong they couldn’t handle it that they passed out and mother nature killed them. When Mother Nature gives a warning don’t try her or you will die.
By Kiara B., 3rd Grade, Bridge School
Superheroes
Songs
Celebration of Authors
COA 2008
There once was a very old scientist one day he found a pill and the scientist drunk it and he turned into a monster he lived in Africa were 8 people lived they were super heroes they found the monster and the monster tried to kill them for a moment the monster said help I can’t control myself they tried to help but the monster kept on fighting the monster went to the city and destroyed the city and the super heroes tried to follow him but they fall into a river and sank they transformed into superherons and flyed to the city but it was too late and the man died. He was weak and told them he was sorry the end.
By Aaron H., Stuti S., and Gavreel S., Loyola Park After School Program
Podcasts
Celebration of Authors
COA 2008
Once upon a time there was a homemade villain, and he wanted to be a villain really bad. He climbed a tree and fell off. Then he remembered his plot to be evil, and he went to a store to try and rob it. His name was Syndrone. When he went to the store an old lady whacked him with her purse, and he fell to the floor. All of the evil thoughts came out of his head, and he became good. His brother WalkaKnocka became an evil boy because of the evil thoughts walked into his head. They meet in a subway. WalkaKnocka takes the train and throws it. Syndrome says “Syndrome will save the day!” and he hits the train down. That same old lady, Old Lady Greenwood, came into the subway and whacked them both with her purse. The evil brother turned into a tree. The good brother became the boogieman. The old lady found a fountain of youth and became a young lady. She looked up at the tree and said “why does this tree look so familiar?” The end.
Listen to the podcast episode adapted from this story!
By Chanell R., 3rd Grade, New Sullivan School
Dialogues
Celebration of Authors
COA 2008
PD: You want to come to my party.
GF: Okay, When is the party.
GW: I’m coming.
PD: Well it’s gonna be at the water park.
GF: Okay, I’ll bring my bathing suit.
GW: I’m coming wherever you go.
PD: we is gonna have the best fun ever girls!
GF: Yeah, you right. It is waterslides.
GW: We is going to have fun
All GIRL: Yes. That was great.
GW: We should do this again.
BOY: you is slow!!!
